WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2009 – At today’s public meeting in Houston, Texas, Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) told Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials that the burdensome requirements proposed in the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) will not provide commensurate security benefits and would severely limit the utility of general aviation aircraft, causing irreparable harm to the industry.

“During the past eight years, enhancing security has been at the forefront of the general aviation community,” said Bunce. “To date, our industry has developed and implemented over a dozen mandatory and voluntary programs based on an assessment of general aviation vulnerabilities in the broader context of transportation security policy."

Bunce pointed out that the program fails to recognize the difference between private general aviation operations and commercial operations. He further explained how for many private/corporate operations, a cumbersome security program will not provide measurable improvements in security or risk management. He emphasized that not addressing these shortcomings will cost our industry jobs, hurt businesses and has the potential to cut-off many rural areas from air service all together.

While encouraged by the TSA’s willingness to participate in public consultation and meetings, GAMA believes the rule’s potential impact on the GA industry is significant enough to warrant continued TSA engagement with industry through a security rulemaking committee. “It is imperative that we have a formal process in place to address industry’s key concerns and provide proposals for practical ways of implementing those security requirements,” Bunce said.