NBAA’s Carr to Testify on TSA Screening of Foreign Flight Students

July 16, 2012

The National Business Aviation Association has been invited to testify at a July 18 congressional hearing regarding the process used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to screen student pilot candidates from other countries.

The Government Accountability Office has conducted a review of TSA’s performance, and identified some challenges the agency faces with maintaining security over flight schools that train foreign citizens in the United States.

NBAA Vice President, Safety, Security, Operations & Regulation Doug Carr will speak before the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Transportation Security at the hearing titled “A Decade After 9/11 Could American Flight Schools Still Unknowingly Be Training Terrorists?”

Carr will address the observations the business aviation community has had with the program, and offer recommendations for bringing further clarity and consistency to it. NBAA also views the hearing as an opportunity to educate committee lawmakers about the host of measures implemented throughout the general aviation community to harden the industry from terrorist threats, many of which have been the direct result of cooperation between the industry and TSA.

“It’s been a few years since NBAA has had the chance to speak before this committee,” Carr noted. “We want to remind lawmakers how the general aviation industry has worked with TSA to continually enhance security, including through the implementation of voluntary measures and guidelines to address situations absent a government directive.”

In the years since Sept. 11, 2001, the general aviation industry has worked closely with the TSA on a number of security measures, including the DCA Access Standard Security Program that allows certain general aviation aircraft to utilize Reagan National Airport (DCA). The association and its Members have also been very engaged with TSA officials in that agency’s work on a Large Aircraft Security Proposal for the general aviation community.

Additionally, NBAA has partnered with the DHS and TSA in developing effective and efficient general aviation security measures, resulting in a host of best practices for business aviation security to assist operators with both complying with TSA regulations, as well as maintaining safe and secure operations as a whole.