Blue Grass Airport to Serve as Security Hub for Private Flights into Washington National Airport

Lexington, KY - Lexington Blue Grass Airport has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as one of only twelve airports nationwide to serve as a security hub for general aviation aircraft seeking to fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC. General aviation aircraft have been prohibited from flying into DCA since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"This is a ringing endorsement for Lexington Blue Grass Airport," said U.S. Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers, chairman of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. "The Department of Homeland Security clearly believes Blue Grass Airport has the right people and resources in place to provide this unique but critical security service. This important new responsibility will put the workers at Blue Grass Airport on the front lines of our national homeland security efforts."

"What a wonderful opportunity for businesses in Kentucky and surrounding states to access our nation's capitol," said Michael Gobb, Executive Director of Lexington Blue Grass Airport. "This new initiative will also have a positive impact on regional economic development efforts by opening up central and southeastern Kentucky to additional tourism opportunities and business partners."

Today DHS announced a series of new security measures that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will implement to reopen DCA for certain pre-cleared general aviation operations, including corporate aircraft, charter flights, and on-demand operations. The rules were developed in coordination with other DHS agencies, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Defense. Congress required DHS to develop a security plan to permit general aviation aircraft and to operate into and out of DCA, first in the 2003 Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act and thereafter in the fiscal year 2005 and 2006 Appropriations bills for the Department of Homeland Security, which were authored by Rogers.

Rogers, who serves as chairman of the Committee that writes the budget for DHS, has been a vocal advocate of reopening DCA to general aviation aircraft. "Washington National Airport has been closed for almost 4 years to general aviation, charters and business aircraft. During this period, aviation security, particularly at DCA, has increased dramatically. With the new security requirements being put into place to address the special aviation security needs of the National Capitol Region, there is no reason that DCA shouldn't be reopened to general aviation aircraft."

TSA's plan allows access for up to 48 general aviation flights into DCA per day. All aircraft will be required to meet the security measures set forth by TSA, which include:

•Advanced registration and qualification of operators and crews seeking to operate at DCA;
•TSA inspection of crew and passengers;
•TSA inspection of property (accessible and checked) and aircraft;
•Identification checks of passengers by TSA;
•Submission of passenger and crew manifests 24 hours in advance of flight;
•Enhanced background checks for all passengers and fingerprint based criminal history records check for flight crew;
•Law Enforcement Officer on board each flight, authorized to use force;
•All operations are subject to cancellation at any time. At Threat Level Orange or Red in the Washington DC area or in the vicinity of the Gateway airports all GA operations into and out of DCA will cease.

According to TSA's plan, GA operators may only fly into DCA from twelve "Gateway" airports. The Gateway airports are: Seattle-Tacoma, WA; Boston Logan; Houston Hobby; White Plains, NY; LaGuardia, New York; Chicago Midway; Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN; West Palm Beach, FL; San Francisco, CA; Teterboro Airport, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; and Lexington, KY. Each of the Gateway airports, with the exception of Teterboro, has a TSA presence and is equipped with TSA screeners. Teterboro Airport will use screeners from Newark Airport, NJ.

General aviation at DCA was suspended immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. There were approximately 660 general aviation and charter flights per week into and out of DCA at the time of suspension.

After publication of an interim final rule, which will be released shortly, implementation and training will begin. General aviation flights are expected to resume in approximately 90 days following publication.