GA Relief on FAA's Agenda

April 16, 2020 - EAA advocacy staff participated in a call with senior FAA leaders on Thursday, as the agency discussed ways to ensure that general aviation activities are not unduly curtailed by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent emergency actions to slow COVID-19.

FAA actions include a Special Federal Air Regulation (SFAR) that will address multiple areas of needed relief for general aviation, including extension of various certificate, inspection, and other operational expirations. This relief will be both retroactive in some cases and forward looking to help address the fast-moving fallout of the coronavirus situation.

"It is gratifying to see the priority and focus that FAA officials are giving general aviation, and their attention to the issues that the industry organizations are bringing forward. The agency is working around the clock to see this through to completion," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety, who participated in Thursday's call with FAA officials representing many of the agency's divisions. "General aviation is a vital part of our nation's transportation infrastructure, so ensuring that regulatory relief for individual pilots and aircraft owners is part of maintaining GA vitality in these uncertain times. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation, or SFAR, will go directly to final rule once completed, with no delaying public comment period that is a usual part of the rulemaking process."

FAA officials also emphasized that a shutdown or curtailing of activities within the nation's airspace system is NOT among any options under consideration by the agency.