The AEA recently submitted comments to the United States Transportation Safety Administration on the Large Aircraft Security Program notice of proposed rulemaking.

           In its comments, the AEA stated, “The proposed Large Aircraft Security Program rule would have a detrimental effect on general aviation while conferring no safety or security benefit to GA. The proposed rule would affect all aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds and would require the operators of these aircraft to have a TSA-approved security program.

           “Specifically, the NPRM states that such a security program would require the watch list matching of GA passengers, screening for unauthorized persons and weapons onboard the aircraft, and fingerprint-based criminal history checks on flight crews. Currently, the Transportation Security Administration only requires security programs for, with some exceptions, commercial and air carriers.”

          It is the AEA’s position that the proposed rule fails to recognize the inherent difference between general aviation and commercial aviation, and the requirements it contains put an overly onerous burden on general aviation while conferring no stated or actual national security benefit.

To read the AEA’s comments on the LASP, visit www.aea.net/pdf/2009-03-11%20LASP%20Comments.pdf.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2009 issue of Avionics News Magazine, a monthly publication of the Aircraft Electronics Association