Changes to the Block Aircraft Registration Request (Barr) Program
The BARR program continues, but at least for now, the FAA has assumed control of day-to-day management of the program. This means that, for the time being, NBAA doesn’t have a role in administering blocking or unblocking requests or resolving problems that may arise due to data-entry errors.
Additionally, individuals and companies that have relied on the BARR program should assume that at some point, their flights could appear on online flight-tracking displays, unless FAA officials have received and processed their requests for continued inclusion in the do-not-track list based on a “valid security concern.”
Going forward, aircraft owners and operators who believe they have a valid security concern, and want to continue to opt out of having their aviation movements tracked must send a request to the FAA do so. NBAA encourages operators who believe they meet the new, security-based requirements for inclusion in the opt-out list to apply. Successful applicants report that a submission typically requires four pieces of information:
First, applicants should provide the aircraft registration information and a stated request for inclusion in the program.
Second, the submission should note that the request is being made pursuant to Federal Register notice 76 FR 32258.
Third, applicants should acknowledge that they believe they meet the requirements for a valid security concern, or meet U.S. Treasury regulations for a business-oriented security concern set forth in the Federal Register notice.
Fourth, applicants should sign their name to the document.
NBAA’s website provides guidance on this process, and we’ve heard from operators who have successfully used the process to continue blocking their flights. Those who submit a request to preserve their ability to opt out of having their flights tracked should expect to receive an acknowledgment from the FAA indicating receipt of the submission and confirming that the request is being processed for inclusion in the opt-out list. FAA officials are continuing to process requests for continued flight blocking, in spite of the recent shutdown at the agency.
Officials indicate that the agency will update enrollments in the program on a monthly basis.
We still have a number of questions that we’re posing to the FAA about the new program such as how long should you expect a new blocking request to take before blocking occurs, how do you remedy problems with blocked aircraft, etc. We’ll keep our BARR FAQ page (http://www.nbaa.org/ops/security/barr/faq/) up-to-date with the latest information we can get. We’re standing by to answer any questions you may have. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you see problems that we can communicate to the FAA.
