Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) Program

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Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Frequently Asked Questions

Updated March 2, 2010

On February 26, 2010, he US District Court for DC ruled that aircraft tail numbers submitted for the FAA Block List, for blockage from distribution to sources outside the FAA under NBAA’s Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, must be made available to the public. Review the NBAA’s press release on the ruling.

Below are answers to frequent asked questions (FAQ) about this ruling.

What type of data will be made available now?
The only information that will now be available is a raw list of tail numbers of operators who are requesting to be put on the FAA Level Block list. This information will only be released via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and not available via any other method.
Who can see this raw list of tail numbers?
Any person or organization can view this information by filing a FOIA request to the FAA.
Will my company name or contact information be released?
No. The only information that will now be available from the FAA upon a FOIA request is a raw list of tail numbers of operators on the FAA Level Block list.
Will my aircraft no longer be blocked and become visible to flight tracking?
No. Real-time flight data will still be blocked at the FAA’s Volpe Center for the FAA Block Level, and by ASDI vendors for tail numbers blocked at the ASDI Block Level. NBAA will continue the BARR program for all requestors that wish to keep their flight information and real-time flight tracking data private. 
My aircraft is blocked at the ASDI Level. Will my tail number be released?
No. Only tail numbers blocked at the FAA Level are subject to this FOIA request. Tail numbers blocked at the ASDI Level are not provided to the FAA.
My aircraft is blocked at the FAA Level. If the aircraft is changed to be blocked at the ASDI Vendor Level, will my tail number be released with a FOIA request?
No. Assuming the FAA has received and processed an updated FAA Block List – that no longer includes your tail number – before the FOIA request is acted upon, your tail number will not be on the current FAA block list, and therefore will not be released.
My aircraft was blocked at the FAA Level years ago, but is no longer blocked. Will my tail number be released? How far back will the now public information go?
We believe that only the current, activly blocked tail numbers on the FAA Level Block list will be released by the FAA as they delete old lists upon receipt of new ones from NBAA.
What should I do if contacted by ProPublica or other members of the press about my BARR Status?
You are under no obligation to discuss your flight operations or missions with any journalist. If you want to address the benefits of business aviation with the media, contact NBAA’s Dan Hubbard at dhubbard@nbaa.org for guidance and more information.

For more information about NBAA's BARR Program, please e-mail barr@nbaa.org.