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NATA Airline Services Council
NATA formed the Airline Services Council (NATA ASC) to further the interests of companies that provide services to scheduled air carriers as their primary business. The primary goal of the NATA ASC is to provide a voice within the public policy arena, especially in terms of issues that impact their viability and profitability.. |
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Professional Line Service Training |
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PLST Online provides the most up-to-date training available for line service specialists – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Line service supervisors can conduct the new PLST Online training anytime and from anywhere there is access to the Web. continued |
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| Obama’s Choice For TSA Administrator Withdraws |
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| President Obama's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Erroll Southers, withdrew his name recently from consideration, just before Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had promised to force a Senate cloture vote on his nomination. Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. Obama had tapped Southers, a former FBI agent, to lead the TSA in September but his confirmation has been blocked by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC). Senator DeMint was opposed to the nomination because Southers refused to explain whether he supported collective bargaining for TSA employees, which DeMint said would have led to work rules that would leave the TSA unable to respond quickly to new threats.
In an October affidavit for the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Southers said he asked a San Diego police employee to run a background check on his then-estranged wife's boyfriend and was censured by his FBI superiors 20 years ago for what he said was an isolated instance. But a day after the committee approved his nomination, he wrote to the senators and told them that he was incorrect, that he had twice run background checks himself.
The White House stated that President Obama had accepted Southers' withdrawal with great sadness and continued to believe he would have made an excellent TSA administrator. | |
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| TSA Extends Comment Period On Repair Station Security Rule |
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| The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has formally extended the comment period on its Part 145 Aircraft Repair Station Security Rule by 30 days. This extension will give the public until February 19, 2010, to submit comments on the proposed rule to the agency.
The proposed rule would establish a new Part 1554 titled “Aircraft Repair Station Security” that would require any repair station, foreign or domestic, certificated under 14 CFR Part 145 to carry out a standard security program (SSP). The SSP would be required to describe:
- Access controls for the facility, aircraft and/or aircraft components
- Measures for identifying individuals with access to the facility, aircraft and/or aircraft components
- Procedures for challenging unauthorized individuals
- Security awareness training for employees
- The name of the facility’s designated security coordinator
- A contingency plan
- The means to verify employee background information
NATA has produced a regulatory report and membership comment tool that can be viewed by members at www.nata.aero. | |
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| EPA Formally Extends Comment Period For De-ice Effluent Limitation Guidelines |
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| The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has, at the request of the NATA, Air Transport Association, Airports Council International - North America, American Association of Airport Executives and the Regional Airline Association, reconsidered its earlier denial of a comment period extension and decided to extend the comment period of the proposed Deice Effluent Limitations Guidelines to February 26, 2010.
The EPA has finalized this decision with a notice in the Federal Register, available here. | |
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| NATA Environmental Committee Holds First Meeting Of 2010 |
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NATA’s Environmental Committee, under the direction of its newly named chairmen, Owen Busch, held its first meeting of 2010 via teleconference last week. The committee received briefings on environmental issues currently affecting the aviation industry including:
- EPA’s proposed de-icing Effluent Guideline Limitations
- Avgas Transition
- EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions
After receiving the briefings, the committee moved into discussion on its direction for 2010. NATA’s Environmental Committee was established to provide guidance regarding the association’s direction in environmental matters and to develop programs designed to assist member companies in minimizing their impact on the environment. | |
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| Weekly Blog: Join The Fight Against Health Care Reform Provisions Negatively Impacting Small Businesses |
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| Every media outlet throughout the country has been incessantly discussing health care reform legislation. However, the details of the 2,000-page bill are still unclear to many. The most worrisome factors are the many provisions that will impact businesses, particularly small businesses. Here’s a brief recap of where the bills stand and what they include: the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962 on November 7, 2009, by a margin of 220 – 215 (39 Democrats and 176 Republicans voted ‘no’). H.R. 3962 will increase costs, raise taxes and saddle employers with new mandates and paperwork burdens. This, as you know, is a deterrent to small businesses, which make up a large percentage of NATA members. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 3950, their version of health care reform that had many provisions contrary to H.R. 3962 and were further troubling to small businesses.
To read Kristen Moore’s entire guest blog, please click here.
Guest blogger, Michael France, NATA director of regulatory affairs, issued a mid-week post urging members to "Make A Difference."
Click here to read the post. | |
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| NATA Releases 2010 Legislative Priorities |
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| Congress has reconvened for the second session of the 111th Congress, and NATA has established a preliminary agenda for this congressional session. While some of the association’s legislative priorities remain the same, a few additions have been made.
Please click here to view NATA’s 2010 Legislative Priorities.
When additional legislation is introduced that is supportive of or problematic for the general aviation industry, NATA will keep its members apprised. | |
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| NATA’s Reflects On 2009 Legislative And Regulatory Accomplishments |
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| The first term of a new presidential administration always brings interesting changes. This year brought new things and more of the same in legislation and regulation affecting general aviation. Congress has yet to pass comprehensive legislation to reauthorize the FAA, while the U.S. House of Representatives passed climate change legislation with record-breaking speed. NATA has highlighted the many issues that were addressed this year before Congress and federal agencies.
Please click here to view NATA’s 2009 Legislative and Regulatory Accomplishments. | |
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| Track The 2010 Primary Elections With NATA |
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| All 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for re-election in 2010 after completing their two-year term this year. One-third of the U.S. Senate is up for re-election in 2010 or 37 total Senators. In addition, many members are retiring, running for a Senate seat, etc.
NATA has highlighted all the Senate races in 2010 and a partial list of House Members who support general aviation and/or are on a relevant committee or have a highly contested race. To aid your review process, Members of Congress who are highlighted in blue are supporters of general aviation, and many of them are members of the General Aviation Caucus in either the House or Senate.
NATA will continually update the database with relevant information as we progress through the primary elections, making the way to the general election on November 2, 2010.
To view NATA’s primary election analysis, please click here. | |
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| NATA’s Social Media Efforts Rank “Top Of The Class” |
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| In a recent blog post by Ludo Van Vooren (a 15-year veteran of the industry who blogs about eBusiness, Social Media, Internet Marketing, and International Business Development), NATA, NBAA and AFA ranked the highest for their social media efforts out of 42 aerospace, aviation, and defense associations. NATA members Duncan Aviation, Cutter Aviation, Priester Aviation and DB Aviation were also mentioned as pioneers in social media. The post is called "Social Media Score Card for top Aerospace Associations."
Click here to read the post.
NATA will strive to continue to reach our members in meaningful ways and bring our “B-” up to an “A.” | |
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| New NATA ASC Logo Available For Member Use |
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| NATA has created a new NATA ASC logo that members can use on company stationery, publications and their Web site. The association recently provided members with two types of logos that members can use as appropriate. Members wishing to secure the new logo may do so by contacting Eric Byer.
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