Agency Says Air-tour Operators Left Sky High

The FAA and the Park Service have taken some steps to implement the National Parks Air Tour Management Act, but nearly six years after its passage, “the required air-tour management plans have not been completed,” according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Therefore, “it is unclear how some of the act’s key requirements will be addressed, such as creating incentives for air-tour operators to adopt quiet-aircraft technology.” In addition, the slow implementation has limited the ability of air-tour operators to make other major decisions, “such as expanding or selling their business.” Meanwhile, the level of implementation to date, the GAO said, “has had little effect [on noise] on the parks.” Operators have been unable to increase their number of air tours beyond their pre-2000 levels or expand to additional parks.