ADIZ Now a Permanent Washington Landmark
Despite heavy opposition by pilots and aviation alphabet groups, airspace restrictions and procedures implemented around Washington, D.C., after 9/11–namely the 15-nm-radius Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) and 30-nm-radius Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), both centered at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)–were made permanent under a final rule issued yesterday by the FAA. Operations within the FRZ are restricted to flights authorized by the FAA and TSA. Within the SFRA, pilots must file a flight plan, establish two-way radio communication with ATC and squawk an assigned transponder code. The now-permanent SFRA is smaller than the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) that initially went into effect in February 2003, which at the time extended 23 miles out from DCA, Dulles and Baltimore/Washington International Airports. The FAA shrunk the ADIZ in August last year, releasing 33 airports and helipads from the restricted airspace. According to the FAA, the move to the smaller restricted area addressed many of the issues identified in the more than 22,000 public comments on the agency’s proposal. Still, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs Andy Cebula said, “It’s extremely disappointing that the ADIZ–something that was hastily implemented as a temporary measure–has become federal regulation. Issuing an ADIZ final rule is a concern because a temporary flight restriction was imposed, without consulting airspace users, and later made ‘permanent’ with no documented justification.”

NBAA is urging operators planning to be in the Washington, D.C. metro area during President-elect Obama’s inauguration next month to subscribe to NBAA Airspace Alerts for the latest information. According to the association, there will be one or more TFRs issued that will restrict general aviation aircraft operations in the D.C. area. NBAA expects tactical traffic management initiatives that will likely entail the use of ground stops or ground delay programs at Dulles International (IAD) and/or Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), and potentially other area airports. The Washington air defense identification zone will constitute the outer ring of the primary TFR, and the D.C. flight restriction zone will constitute the inner ring, meaning there will be no access to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), even under the DCA Access Standard Security Program. Only IFR traffic will be allowed into IAD and BWI; Manassas Regional Airport is being considered for IFR traffic as well. NBAA expects parking challenges at airports surrounding the metro area and is encouraging operators to contact their FBO of choice ahead of time to determine if parking is available.

XOJet Feeling the Effects of Sour Economy
San Carlos, Calif.-based XOJet has laid off “around 20” pilots and some additional operations and sales staff, according to John Magner, the company’s executive vice president of commercial operations. XOJet is still taking delivery of Challenger 300s and Citation Xs at the rate of about one a month and the company is still closing deals, “but not to the degree we wanted to grow,” he said. Magner added that the layoffs would have been made regardless of the economic situation, saying, “It was the right business decision.” Meanwhile, the company has been promoting its Fleet Exchange Membership program as a cost-effective alternative to fractional programs. The program requires a “minimal” upfront membership fee and provides customers with the benefits of fractional ownership, including guaranteed flight hours, without peak-day limitations, ferry fees or the large financial commitment that fractional programs require. Program membership starts at 50 hours, and the flight hours do not expire, according to XOJet.

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