NATA Appeals to OMB on 15-percent Rule

In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget this week, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) requested the agency's intervention to ensure that the new FAA policy requiring landing performance assessments before landing, including a new requirement for a mandatory 15-percent margin, for fractional and charter jets complies with all statutory requirements. "It appears that the FAA is overstepping its authority by issuing this notice and, thereby, establishing new requirements without completing the necessary rulemaking process," NATA said. "To impose such a specific and detailed new process on operators without following the mandates of the Administrative Procedures Act is unacceptable." The letter points to requests made to the FAA to postpone this notice and related OpSpecs for a minimum of 60 days to allow time for the agency to address industry concerns. "Unfortunately, the association has received no response to our concerns," NATA said.