Pilots' fight for privacy turned down
May 31, 2011, 01:50 pm
While the identity of passengers will still be kept private, general aviation pilots must now allow the public to view their flight information on the Internet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The new website will show people the flight's registration number, path, departure point and destination.
"This action is in keeping with the Obama administration’s commitment to transparency in government," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "Both general aviation and commercial aircraft use the public airspace and air traffic control facilities, and the public has a right to information about their activities."
In early May, several aviation associations got together and sent a letter to Congress asking them to support the Block Aircraft Registration Request program. This policy allowed aviation owners and operators the right to opt out of having commercial flight-tracking services broadcast their aircrafts' movements to third-parties, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
From now on, the only way pilots and owners can block this information from being displayed is if they can provide written certification to the FAA that there is a valid security threat, which could directly affect their pilots life insurance policies.
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