Better to Include Experts, Rather Than Just Bureaucrats, Decide

National Air Transportation Association president James K. Coyne is happy about the formation of a general aviation security working group within the federal government. The group, tentatively referred to as the General Aviation Airports Security Working Group (GAASWG), was created by the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Aviation Security Advisory Council (ASAC). The ASAC also established three separate working groups to discuss the various security concerns confronting air cargo operators.

As a longstanding member of the ASAC, NATA supported proposals to establish the working groups as an appropriate method of developing security recommendations for these important segments of the air transportation system. NATA, along with other major general aviation trade associations, will participate in the airports security working group's efforts and is also a member of the air cargo panels.  Appropriate federal and state agencies are also represented.

"The General Aviation Airports Security Working Group will be an important forum for addressing any lingering concerns regarding the security of these aircraft operators and the businesses who serve them," stated Coyne (right). "Most critical, however, will be our industry's efforts to demonstrate to the Transportation Security Administration and other government agencies that general aviation airports are already more secure than before September 2001."

In a presentation to the ASAC, TSA representatives identified several tasks for the general aviation working group to accomplish. These include developing a work plan; developing standards to categorize general aviation airports, both public and private; and creating security "best practices" as appropriate for these categories. Significantly, the TSA noted that all recommendations will be based on analysis of the threats they are designed to mitigate and that no new regulations for the industry are planned. Instead, according to Coyne, the TSA's intent is to develop a series of recommendations and guidelines that airport operators throughout the U.S. may implement.

"It is crucial for industry that any final recommendations coming out of this working group are developed using honest threat analyses as an overriding concern," said Coyne. "With a continuing public focus on all aspects of aviation security," he added, "we are encouraged that government and industry will finally sit down to decide upon appropriate security procedures for general aviation facilities.

"Of course of over-riding concern to the association is prevention of the inappropriate application of airline hub-type security to the general aviation airport. Our recommendations must be flexible and geared towards the unique characteristics of general aviation airports," Coyne explained.

Similarly, the air cargo working groups will be meeting to decide what, if any, steps may be appropriate to enhance this industry segment's security. While much of the groups' focus will be on the security of cargo aboard larger or passenger-carrying aircraft, smaller on-demand charter operators who fly cargo will also participate. Michael Grossmann, president of Castle Aviation, a charter cargo operator based in North Canton (OH), will help NATA on these working groups. Mike is a longstanding active member of the NATA Air Charter Committee and is the current Chairman of the Air Cargo Subcommittee.

"We are very pleased to have someone of Mike's stature give so freely of his time away from his Ohio-based business to participate in these efforts," Coyne said. "We look forward to drawing upon his real-world experience as an on-demand charter operator while this industry wrestles with the challenges posed in these working groups."

FMI: www.nata-online.org; www.tsa.gov