NATA's Coyne Says There Is No Evidence To Support "Ill-Conceived" FAA Air Tour Plan

NATA president James K. Coyne (right) Wednesday underscored the devastating impact the proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air tour rules pose for small businesses. Coyne spoke at the first of two FAA-sponsored public meetings addressing proposed regulations for sightseeing and air tour operators.

"By their own admission, the FAA has no clear idea of the number and type of operations impacted by their proposal," said Coyne. "That in itself should raise a huge red flag for all concerned. There is not one scintilla of evidence to suggest that this is anything other than more needless FAA red tape for air tour operators."

Under the FAA proposal, using private aircraft for local sightseeing flights would be eliminated unless the operator obtains air carrier certification. The rules would also impose numerous operational and equipment restrictions on all commercial air tour operators.

NATA also submitted formal comments to the FAA on the subject. The association's comments call for a complete withdrawal of the proposed rules due to numerous shortcomings in data and little justification for such a dramatic change to the current regulatory structure.

In his comments during the public meeting, Coyne emphasized the FAA's inability to support the rule making with hard data. "The agency should not pursue further rule making until thorough research is conducted that yields the necessary data so that any proposed regulations are generated from an educated position for each of the impacted operational areas," stated Coyne, echoing the association's recommendation in the prepared comments.

Coyne also expressed consternation at the FAA's statement during the March "virtual" meeting that compared the air tour industry to the airlines.

"Making this comparison would be like telling the fishing charter guide I hired this past summer that his operation is similar to a cruise line because they both use boats," concluded Coyne.

FMI: www.nata-online.org