Says Move Is Intended To 'Reduce Costs, Improve Efficiencies'

The FAA said in an online notice that it is phasing out direct sales of paper charts as of this month.

The agency said it is taking this action to "reduce costs, improve efficiencies and enhance and modernize the service provided our customers and the aviation community."
 
According to the notice: "Effective July 1, 2013, as current subscriptions expire, we are discontinuing our direct-to-the-public subscription sales of paper aeronautical charts and related paper products. Current subscriptions will be filled through their applicable expiration date and we will continue to offer individual (other than subscription) paper sales through our aeronav.faa.gov website until October 2013
 
"Currently targeted for October 1, 2013, we will then discontinue all other direct-to-the-public individual sales of paper aeronautical charts and related paper products. Subsequently, all future individual purchases, and subscriptions of our aeronautical paper products will be sold expressly through the FAA's worldwide network of authorized chart sales agents."

A list of these agents is available from the FAA.

In addition, the agency says it continues to verify costs and pricing for digital AeroNav products to help develop a final proposal. Although the FAA has not set any dates for completion of the final proposal or a timeline for implementation, the agency will keep the aviation community informed about its progress.
 
With the growth of the world-wide-web and advances in personal computing devices, pilots have relied increasingly on digital aeronautical products rather than traditional paper charts. However, some digital products the FAA made available were replicated and resold without authorization. In some cases, this was done in a way that did not preserve the integrity of the original product, which created a potential unintended risk to aviation safety. In addition, the FAA's cost recovery for digital products has not kept pace with changing technology.
 
The FAA has been producing aeronautical charts and products since the Aeronautical Charting Program was transferred to the FAA from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in October 2000. Public Law 106-181, dated April 5, 2000 gave the FAA the legislative authority to charge fees to recover the cost of producing paper and digital products. That authority was codified in Title 49, United States Code, section 44721. The FAA now develops aeronautical products and sells them through a network of about 400 authorized aeronautical chart agents, as well as through direct sales to the public.

FMI: http://aeronav.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=aeronav/safety_alerts