General aviation airports are a national asset
August 7, 2012, 02:44 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration is using information from the study "General Aviation Airports: A National Asset" to provide the public with information on general aviation airports can serve them.
The 18-month study of nearly 3,000 general aviation airports highlights on role these airports play in society, the economy and the aviation system. The study categorizes the airports into one of four categories: national, regional, local or basic. The new categories more clearly capture the diverse functions and economic contributions by general aviation airports to their communities and to the nation as a whole.
“GA airports can serve many different functions and advance the public interest, ensuring that Americans nationwide have access to medical flights, search-and-rescue, disaster relief, aerial firefighting, law enforcement, community access, commercial and industrial activity, flight instruction and air cargo,” the study read.
The categories refer to the activity at each airport, including the number and types of aircraft based there, the number of passengers boarding and the type of flights offered. National airports allow access across the nation and to international markets. Regional airports connect to state and interstate airports. Local airports provide the community access to intrastate and interstate markets. Basic airports provide the community links to the national airport system and support aviation activities.
The FAA still has 497 more general aviation airports to label and study beginning this fall. The study does not affect an airport's sponsorship eligibility for federal funding, according to the FAA, nor does it remove airports from the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems.
The study showed that general aviation airports contributed $38.8 billion to the economy in 2009. The FAA gave its gratitude to its many partnerships for their role in attempting to find an efficient investment plan for the general aviation community, in particular the National Association of State Aviation Officials.
“We applaud the local communities for their continuing support and commitment to aviation,” said Christa Fornarotto, FAA associate administrator for airports. “While this report has given us a good foundation and starting point, we recognize that more work needs to be done.”
The FAA continues to identify general aviation airports that are crucial to the infrastructure of the community. Future presentations to Congress, including the 2013-2017 NPIAS report, will include the the latest general aviation categories.
Pilots in the general aviation community are encouraged to obtain pilot life insurance.
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