Baker Calls for Stronger Aircraft Security Protections

NBAA Board member, aviation safety expert and advocate, FlightAware founder and former CEO Daniel Baker took a minute to share a few insights about improving aircraft data security, modernizing the air traffic control system and ensuring that the National Airspace System (NAS) remains the world’s safest as new types of aircraft enter the ecosystem.

Aircraft Data Security

Now five years into the ADS-B mandate, which was intended to improve aviation safety but inadvertently impacted aircraft and passenger security, aircraft data security continues to be a key issue in business aviation.

Baker said the FAA and industry should work to more fully implement and improve the Privacy International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Address (PIA) program.

“There’s a lot of overhead now in getting a new ICAO code and changing it in the aircraft,” he said. Baker sees a future in which every time an operator files a flight plan, its technology receives a new, unique code that is automatically entered into the aircraft.

Airspace and ATC Modernization

As for modernizing the NAS and ATC system, he said industry stakeholders should find common ground and urge the FAA and DOT to focus on those areas. Congress, he said, should resolve political skirmishes.

“We would all agree that if we want to hire and retain the best controllers, we need to eliminate political drama that can impact their pay,” said Baker. “Beyond that, as far as infrastructure and technology go, we don’t need an enormous, amazing project. We need a long-term version with many small projects that go towards that goal.”

Focusing on small projects, defining achievable milestones, aligning around public interest and allowing more vendors to participate in the process will lead to the best results, he said.

New Entrants

Although eVTOLs and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operating beyond visual line of sight will soon be flying regularly, Baker said it’s difficult to fully prepare the infrastructure or other stakeholders until we know what the market will demand.

“Beyond laying the groundwork for UAS in the NAS, industry needs to work to help the FAA to rapidly respond and to embrace innovation without sacrificing safety.”

Finally, he urged industry and the FAA to find solutions that don’t require equipage changes to the existing fleet.