March 5, 2009
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Dear Secretary Napolitano:
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress, federal agencies and state governments. NATA’s 2,000 member companies own, operate and service aircraft. These companies provide for the needs of the traveling public by offering services and products to aircraft operators and others such as fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, parts sales, storage, rental, airline servicing, flight training, Part 135 on-demand air charter, fractional aircraft program management and scheduled commuter operations in smaller aircraft. NATA members are a vital link in the aviation industry providing services to the general public, airlines, general aviation, and the military.
On behalf of NATA and its 2000 member companies, I am writing to express my deep concern with the temporary flight restrictions (TFR) for the Chicago, Illinois area when President Barack Obama visited the city from February 13 -16, 2009. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a notice to airmen (NOTAM) creating a 30-nm TFR and a 10-nm no-fly zone that was in effect from 4:00 p.m. on February 13, 2009, until 9:00 a.m. on February 16, 2009. General aviation and business aircraft not participating in a standard security program (SSP) were required to land at gateway airports in Rockford (RFD), Peoria (PIA) or South Bend (SBN) to be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before being allowed to proceed to either Chicago O’Hare International Airport or Chicago Midway Airport. Aircraft flying to any of the other airports within the TFR were required to receive and adhere to a clearance to enter the airspace.
While NATA and its members recognize the importance of protecting the President of the United States, I wanted to alert you to how this TFR impacted the region economically. The TFR during that weekend left dozens of aviation businesses including fixed base operators (FBOs), Part 135 on-demand air charter operations, maintenance facilities and flight schools with a significant loss in revenue. For instance, one of our member FBOs at Chicago Midway Airport lost $50,000-$60,000 in fuel sales revenue. In addition, a local flight school lost $18,000 in revenue due to the inability to train student pilots as a result of the TFR. Should President Obama visit the Chicago area every 5-6 weeks, as some in the press have indicated is likely, similar TFRs will take place another 30-35 times throughout his first term as President, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating losses for general aviation businesses in and around Chicago.
I am requesting that the Department of Homeland Security consider developing procedures, in consultation with the operators affected by the February 2009 TFR, that would allow aviation businesses to continue operating near normal levels and also address the security needs necessary to protect President Obama when he visits the Chicago area. Achieving the appropriate balance of security while not prohibiting commerce is critical to ensure the financial viability of the dozens of aviation businesses affected by future TFRs during these difficult economic times.
Thank you for your consideration of this important issue. Should you have any questions, I can be reached at (800) 808-6282.
Sincerely,
James K. Coyne
President