Washington, DC, June 30, 2020 – The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and NATA Compliance Services (NATACS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Transportation (DOT) in support of the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI). Through this partnership, NATA and NATACS agree to educate the general aviation community about the pervasiveness of human trafficking, how to detect it, and the methods of elimination.
“Aviation is one of the many vehicles used to traffic victims,” said Shirley Negri, NATACS COO. “We’re taking action. Through this partnership, our team is committed to distribute materials, educate via its Aviation Security Platform on NATA.aero, and promote awareness about this global criminal activity.” The BLI has provided training to more than 100,000 people within the aviation industry, giving them the tools to identify indicators of trafficking and report suspected trafficking situations to the proper authorities.
“The combined team at NATA and NATACS brings your company the very best in safety and security. Our work to support the Blue Lightning Initiative expands the array of, and access to, resources and tools for our membership and the industry to assist in protecting their employees, customers, and businesses. We are pleased to be a part of an initiative that advances the mission our company has held for the past 80 years: to empower our members,” stated NATA Senior Vice President Ryan Waguespack.