Reporting information for commercial air tour operations over units of the national park system: 2017 annual repor

Lignell, Brent

Beginning in 2013, commercial air tour operators who conduct tours over units of the national park system have been required to report their air tour activity to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS). The purpose of this report is to provide a high-level quantitative summary of the data provided by air tour operators for flights conducted in 2017. The NPS and FAA use these data to implement requirements of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, as amended, including the identification of parks where an air tour management plan or agreement is required. Table E1 displays the number of reported tours at the 78 units of the national park system where one or more air tour operators hold interim operating authority (IOA) from the FAA to conduct commercial air tours. According to reports submitted by operators, a total of 58,400 air tours were conducted in 2017 . The National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, as amended, requires that park units with more than 50 annual tours establish an air tour management plan or agreement. While units with 50 or fewer tours are exempt from the requirement to establish a plan or agreement, NPS may withdraw an exemption if NPS determines that a plan or agreement is necessary to protect park resource and values, or visitor use and enjoyment. Currently, 26 park units require a plan or agreement  23 units with more than 50 tours and 3 units where NPS has withdrawn the exemption (Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Death Valley National Park, and Mount Rainier National Park). Of these units, NPS and FAA have completed agreements with operators at Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area / Rainbow Bridge National Monument. The remaining 52 park units listed in Table E1 qualify for the exemption based on 2017 data because the number of tours has not exceeded 50. The FAA and NPS will publish a list of exempt parks in a forthcoming Federal Register notice after consulting with managers at these park units to determine if a plan or agreement is necessary to protect park resources or visitor enjoyment.

Reporting information for commercial air tour operations over units of the national park system: 2017 annual repor

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