Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
White Plains, NY, January 6, 2009 – In comments made to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials today, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen articulated industry concerns about the agency’s proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and offered a process for improving the final rule on the proposal.
At a public hearing held in a packed room at Westchester County Airport, Bolen told TSA representatives their plan fails to recognize the unique needs and challenges of business aviation operations and that left unchanged, the plan would have “unintended and destructive consequences that threaten the well-being of businesses across the U.S. that rely on their airplanes for survival.”
Bolen reminded the TSA of the ongoing commitment to security that the business aviation community has demonstrated. “In the years following the 9/11 attacks,” Bolen said, “The industry has called for security enhancements, including an Airport Watch program, monitored aircraft transactions, background checks and tamper-proof licenses for pilots. Clearly, when it comes to effective security enhancements, we have led, not followed the government.”
“In determining a final rule, we believe it is important that we get this right,” Bolen said. “Overly broad or unduly burdensome regulations will needlessly destroy jobs and businesses. There is a better way to approach our shared goal of enhancing security and facilitating operations.
“We need to create an aviation rulemaking committee, which is a consistently proven method for addressing controversial proposals for our industry, because it opens up a real dialogue for creating effective, yet workable policies. Business aviation is an important industry, security is an important objective, and we deserve that kind of dialogue.”
Review thewritten testimony about the LASP proposal or listen to the podcast at http://www.nbaa.org/advocacy/testimony/20090106.php.
Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. (NBAA) is the leading organization for companiesthat rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention,the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
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