Flight Tracking Goes Public
In August, the FAA eliminated the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, opening the door to real-time tracking and past flight information being available to the public. Previously, general and business aviation owners, operators and passengers could request that specific information about their IFR flights in the United States be kept private.
Now aircraft operators are required to show a “valid security concern” in order to keep their flight data from being disseminated. However, showing a valid security concern may not be easy.
According to the FAA, a valid security concern is defined as “the facts and circumstances establishing ... a verifiable threat to person, property, or company, including a threat of death, kidnapping or serious bodily harm against an individual, a recent history of violent terrorist activity in the geographic area in which the transportation is provided, or a threat against a company.”
A “generalized, non-specific security concern” does not qualify, and certification must be made at least annually and be based on a specific security threat at that time.
A variety of Web flight tracking programs available on smartphones and computers allow public users to learn the location, altitude, airspeed, destination and estimated time of arrival of unblocked aircraft. For many, blocking the identifiable flight data meant keeping valuable information out of the hands of competitors, protesters, enthusiastic fans and others. Now, the FAA’s new ruling makes it harder for aircraft owners and operators to protect their privacy.
To voice your concerns about the program, learn more about the changes to BARR, or request your aircraft’s flight information to be blocked from public view, click the links below.
Essential Information