With the ADS-B mandate being implemented in less than two months, aircraft owners and operators will have to have an ADS-B transponder installed in order to fly in most controlled airspace. A recently announced program will help aircraft operators keep their trips away from the public eye. At the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas last month, the FAA announced the Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) Program for ADS-B-equipped airplanes.
“Until now, the lack of a privacy solution has been a disincentive for some operators to equip with ADS-B,” said NBAA’s president and CEO, Ed Bolen. “No one should have to surrender their privacy and security just because they board an airplane.”
Phase 1 of the new system is expected to be in place on January 1, and, similar to the previous Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed (LADD) [formerly Block Aircraft Registry Request (BARR)], it will prevent the public display of real-time ADS-B position and identification information. Owners and operators who wish to block their flights will make such request via an FAA web portal. The FAA will then issue a temporary ICAO aircraft address that will be used in place of the public data associated with the aircraft.
Phase 2, expected to be implemented in mid-2020, will transition the PIA web portal to third-party service providers.
“NBAA and its members thank the FAA for effectively partnering to produce an outcome that strikes an appropriate balance between preserving privacy and security, and making aircraft data available,” Bolen said.
