WPCNR’S FRIENDLY SKIES. January 4, 2009: Flying friendly politicians to Hawaii by private charter jet from White Plains, or to Japan on junket or some well-connected pals to Fort Lauderdale for a winter break will not be so easy in the next few years if the Transportation Security Administration has its way.
The Transportation Security Administration is seeking comment on tough new security procedures for private aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds and their private flights and chartered flights they fly. Westchester County Airport has many such flights on private aircraft on charter companies each day where security is left up to the individual company or aircraft owner.
The presumption is the passengers on those flights are known. In the future that golf trip to Hawaii, that ski trip to Colorado even perhaps on a small General Aviation single engine plane may require considerably more advanced planning, including submitting passenger lists and passing it past a Security Watch List may be required. Will the charter aircraft companies be checking you out, or will the TSA? The TSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday at Westchester County Airport at 9 A.M., at Building 1 on Airport Road.
One of hundreds of private jets that use Westchester County Airport — just perfect for the ski vacations to Telluride, or the ponies at Saratoga, or a toasty weekend in The Bams. They fly out of and into medium-sized and major airports throughout the country. Owners, companies, and charter flight operators would be subject to baggage, arms, security checks and reporting passengers under the TSA rules
The measures if enacted would rachet up security clearance procedures, including pilot background checks. Operators professional and private would have to clear passenger identities on charters or your own private jet against national “Security Watch Lists,” in advance. Companies would be required to appoint security managers for charter air services, are among the more prominent changes the TSA is proposing.
The Notice of Proposed Rule Making calls for such procedures for private flights chartered or private departing airports across the country. Westchester County Airport will host the first of these hearings Tuesday morning at 9 A.M. Registration. To speak on the rules changes interested persons must arrive at 8 A.M. at Building 1, Airport Road at the airport. You will only be allowed to speak for 3 minutes.
To read the complete notice go to the AOPA website at http://download.aopa.org/epilot/2008/081216lasp.pdf
For more information on the proposed rule or to find out how to submit your comments visit the AOPA member action center at http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/gasecurity/
The TSA is especially interested in comments on these issues:
(1) The weight threshold of aircraft covered by the proposed rule.
(2) The phased approach in the implementation of the proposed rule and the
determination of which phase would be applicable to each large aircraft operator.
(3) The security threat assessment (STA) requirements, including the
transferability of the STAs for flight crew members and whether a proprietor, general
partner, officer, director, or owner of aircraft operators should undergo a STA.
(4) Methods for positively identifying pilots and effectively linking them to the
aircraft they are operating.
(5) The watch list service provider (WLSP) requirement, including comments on
the WLSP.s system security plan, the role that watch-list service providers may continue
to have if the responsibility for watch-list matching shifts to the U.S. Government in the
future, whether there should be a limitation of the number of entities that would be
approved as a WSLP, and whether WLSP covered personnel should be limited only to
U.S. citizens, nationals or lawful permanent residents.
(6) Whether TSA should establish a minimum time for submission of passenger
information to the service providers, what that minimum time should be, and the reasons
supporting the suggested minimum time.
(7) Whether full program aircraft operators should be permitted to conduct their
own audit and/or watch list matching on flights operated under their LASP.
(8) Proposed privacy notice requirement.
(9) The third party auditor requirement, including the establishment of a system of
assigning auditors and methods of doing so, qualifications of auditors, and conflict of
interests and independence issues affecting an auditor.
(10) Whether certain large aircraft operators (for instance, operators that are not
carrying persons or property for compensation or hire or with aircraft having a MTOW of
more than 45,500 kg) should have a different requirement as to what weapons are
prohibited (for example, limit the prohibited items to only guns and firearms).
(11) The requirement for security coordinator, including the use of a single
individual for multiple security coordinator roles.
(12) Whether any other types of airport should be covered by a security program.
(13) Amendment of the partial program or the supporting program for airports.
(14) Applicability of the proposed rule to fractional ownership operations.
(15) Qualifications of individuals who would be exempted from liability under the
voluntary provision of emergency services.
Hearings will also be held January 8 in Atlanta, January 16 in Chicago, January 23 in Burbank, California, and January 28 in Houston.
