Myopic Media Reaction Didn't Help Matters
The National Business
Aviation Association's President and CEO Ed Bolen issued the
following statement concerning news coverage of a government
aviation security report compiled by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and Department of Homeland Security and made public,
Monday.
Statement From NBAA President/CEO Ed Bolen Regarding News
Coverage of General Aviation Security
The recent government report on aviation security may have made
for sensational news headlines, but most coverage mischaracterized
the report's conclusions, and the true record, on general aviation
security.
The government's 24-page report devoted only two paragraphs to
the issue of general aviation security. Those paragraphs restated a
long-standing, well-known concern: general aviation, like many
other portions of the national transportation system, must remain
vigilant in providing security protections.
Reporters treated this
as news, focusing much of their coverage on general aviation. But,
little or nothing was said about the host of voluntary and
regulatory changes the general aviation community has implemented
in recent years to harden the industry against threats from
terrorism.
The entire general aviation industry has worked with TSA's
Aviation Security Advisory Committee - consisting of government and
industry security experts - to develop best practices and
recommendations to strengthen security at general aviation
airports. Aircraft manufacturers and salespeople now have
procedures to report suspicious financial transactions during the
purchase or sale of an aircraft. Measures have been taken to ensure
that flight training and license issuance are more secure. An
airport watch program has been created that encourages general
aviation pilots to report suspicious activity to a toll-free number
staffed by government officials.
NBAA has worked with
government officials to take even further action on general
aviation security. The Transportation Security Administration has
sought our guidance on the development of a TSA program with new
procedures for security over personnel, facilities, aircraft and
in-flight operations. The program, which is in a test phase, is
called the Transportation Security Administration Access
Certificate, or "TSAAC". Full implementation of TSAAC would enhance
security and restore access to airports and airspace for our
industry.
But, TSA's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security,
has yet to expand the initiative, or explain what is needed for its
further implementation.
The more than one million people whose work depends on general
aviation have made significant progress in bolstering general
aviation security, and our efforts continue to date. It is
unfortunate that news organizations have left the public
ill-informed about the security of our industry by choosing to
focus instead on a report that merely re-hashes well-documented
security concerns.