Aero-Views: NATA’S Coyne Rebuts 'Ridiculous' New York Times Column | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-03.24.25

SunnFun-DayOne-04.01.25

Airborne-DayTwo-04.02.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-03.27.25

Airborne-Unlimited-03.28.25

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT Miss Monday's Historic (Really) SUN n FUN Innovation Preview: www.airborne-live.net, 1600ET!!!

Fri, Apr 15, 2005

Aero-Views: NATA’S Coyne Rebuts 'Ridiculous' New York Times Column

"Billy Bob Bin Laden"?

There's humor, then there's satire, then there's what the New York Times published on Wednesday.

National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President James K. Coyne submitted a rebuttal Thursday to ridiculous comments made by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman in an article in Wednesday's paper.


 
Friedman asserts "anyone who has flown on a private jet since 9/11 can tell you that security at these private terminals is still so lax that if you showed up in a Saudi headdress with a West Virginia driver's license under the name of 'Billy Bob bin Laden' and asked for flight directions for your chartered Learjet to Lower Manhattan, there's a good chance no one would stop you."
 
"While Tom Friedman was trying to be funny imagining that "Billy Bob bin Laden" could charter a Learjet and fly it to Manhattan, please inform his readers that the air charter industry is serious about security," Coyne wrote to the New York Times Editor. "Though air charter provides unparalleled convenience and efficiency, we place the highest priority on assuring that terrorists will never misuse our aircraft.
 
"Last year, NBC reporters thought they could charter an aircraft and pretend to attack St. Louis. They ended up in the hands of the FBI after company employees smelled a rat. Although we prudently keep our procedures confidential, every jet charter operator maintains security programs, approved by the TSA, which prevent terrorists from taking control of the aircraft. 
 
"The broader point of the article, however, has merit: As America achieves success in Iraq, we must not let down our guard at home. Air charter companies never have -– and we never will."

FMI: www.nata.aero

Advertisement

More News

SilverLight Aviation Provides Updates

Gyroplanes, New Airplane, AJ Sport Displayed At SUN ‘n FUN SilverLight Aviation, based in Tampa, Florida, announced it will have aircraft on display at the SUN ‘n FUN A>[...]

Airborne Affordable Flyers 03.27.25: MOSAIC To Miss OSH?, Flight Design, Dynon

Also: 2025 SnF Innovation Preview, Nat'l Aeronca Convention, Wright Flyer III, Ford Tri-Motor With a new political reality sweeping Washington, DC, and that doesn’t even incl>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.01.25)

Aero Linx: Fairchild Club Home of Fairchild owners, pilots and enthusiasts. You need not own a Fairchild to be part of our Club and share our enthusiasm for the Airplanes. To Join >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (03.31.25)

Aero Linx: Bellanca Champion Club The Bellanca-Champion Club welcomes all owners, pilots, and enthusiasts. Whether you're a Bellanca owner or not, we invite you to join us. The clu>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (03.31.25)

“The TURBINE powered Velocity V-Twin flew today for the first time!!! Great first flight with just a few minor squawks...” Source: The initial report from Velocity Airc>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC