Sat, Oct 13, 2007
Says More Time Needed To Address Border-Crossing Probems
Citing what the group terms "serious
problems" with a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposal on
international general aviation travel, the Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association (AOPA) this week asked the agency to extend the
public comment period.
In a letter to CBP's assistant commissioner for international
trade regulations and rulings, the head of AOPA's government
affairs division asked that the comment period be extended from 60
to 120 days.
"A two month extension is essential to ensure that the general
aviation (GA) community, which will be significantly impacted by
this rule, has an adequate opportunity to comment," wrote Andy
Cebula, AOPA's executive vice president of government affairs.
AOPA also noted the wide diversity of international GA flights
and the need for more time to better educate GA pilots about the
issues surrounding their particular type of international flight --
whether a family trip to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, or a
transoceanic flight in a corporate jet.
The CBP proposed rule would require all GA pilots flying out of
or into the United States to electronically file a passenger
manifest with CBP at least one hour before taking off, and that the
manifest be checked against terrorist watch lists. AOPA believes
the rule, which would not permit manifests to be submitted any way
except online, creates major obstacles for pilots departing remote
airfields with limited telephone service, let alone internet
connectivity. Similarly, false hits against the terrorist watch
lists would present significant challenges for pilots trying to
resolve the problem from remote areas.
"[E]xtending the comment period is essential to provide the
general aviation community the opportunity to develop possible
alternatives to address specific concerns within the rule such as
the proposed electronic-only submission of passenger and other data
to CBP prior to border crossing flights," said Cebula in the
letter.
AOPA says it is committed "to striking a common-sense balance
that fulfills national security needs while protecting aircraft
owners and pilots from overly burdensome regulations."
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