Organization Sends “Just the Facts” About General Aviation’s Place in FAA Reductions

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is bluntly shutting down any claims that business aviation has been exempted from the FAA’s new traffic reduction measures. The cuts come as the shutdown blazes past the one-month mark and controllers become less and less willing to work without pay.

“While business aviation is fully included in the FAA’s traffic reductions, we know that our sector will continue to pursue mandatory and voluntary means to ensure we are part of the solution to the challenges posed in the current environment,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

The organization clarified that any claims otherwise are “untrue”, releasing a detailed “Just the Facts” document to correct “misleading and inaccurate” coverage. According to the NBAA, general and business aviation aircraft are fully included in the FAA’s traffic management program. In some cases, these groups face even stricter restrictions than commercial carriers, as they require more time to properly space in busy airspaces.

The so-called “Just the Facts” release also highlighted that most business aircraft operations use smaller airports outside large hubs, connecting communities with little or no airline service. This flexibility makes general aviation a vital contribution, not a strain, to the national transportation network.

“Business aviation is a critical transportation link for communities across the country, an incremental user of the nation’s aviation system, and not a primary cause of delays,” the release said. “Equally important, the entrepreneurs and companies relying on business airplanes are a full partner in several voluntary initiatives to minimize the sector’s already small footprint.”

In the meantime, the association is urging operators to continue avoiding the busiest commercial airports, maintain flexible flight plans, and call on Congress to restore normal operations.

FMI: www.nbaa.org