As the Biden Administration weighs the potential for Covid-19 testing on domestic flights, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is urging President Biden, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to consider the low risk of virus transmission posed by the general aviation industry when they create travel policies.

“We cannot afford to shackle an industry that not only empowers countless businesses across the country and offers essential services, but also safeguards the health and safety of its passengers and personnel,” NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts told the Washington leaders in a February 11 letter.

While acknowledging the national priority must be on mitigating the spread of Covid-19, Obitts added, “This must not come at the risk of burdensome or undue policies, including domestic preflight Covid testing requirements, that work to hinder an essential industry and cut important ties to the over 40 percent of the nation’s population that is not served by the airlines.”

Obitts highlighted safeguards charter operators and FBOs have put into place and said charter travel offers risk protections such as minimal touchpoints, streamlined services away from crowds at large airports, and known passengers. “The controlled environment of on-demand air travel arguably entails less risk than a trip to the grocery store, evidenced by the fact that there are no documented cases of Covid-19 transmission on a Part 135 air charter flight," he said.

He further stressed that Part 135 operators also provide critical front-line missions and are beginning to transport Covid-19 vaccines to remote communities.