Air Tour Operators Ask Congress to Restore Their Access to National Parks

Federal plans to restrict park airspace could hurt businesses, critics say.

Jonathan Welsh

Wednesday, December 06, 2023 at 03:27 PM ET

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Helicopter tour operators are concerned about new restrictions over national parks. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Helicopter air tour operators are actively lobbying Congress to push back against new FAA and National Park Service rules that limit or forbid air tours over national parks.
Operators argue that these Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) were developed through a rushed process without adequate stakeholder input, potentially making their businesses uneconomical and raising significant safety concerns.
The FAA and NPS state that the new restrictions are designed to protect national park natural and cultural resources, Tribal sacred sites, and enhance the visitor experience.
Congress's House Natural Resources Subcommittee has shown sympathy for the tour operators, acknowledging potential adverse economic effects and calling for the ATMP development process to be corrected.

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Helicopter air tour operators continue to push back against new rules affecting how they conduct tours of national parks.

Members of the Helicopter Association International (HAI), a trade group representing the global helicopter industry, gave testimony before Congress, asking lawmakers to encourage the FAA and National Park Service to reconsider rules that limit or forbid air tour operations over certain national parks.