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, represented by the Helicopter Association International (HAI), are actively pushing back against new FAA and National Park Service rules that restrict or prohibit air tours over national parks.
Operators argue the new Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) were developed hastily, without proper stakeholder involvement, and will lead to uneconomical operations and potential safety issues.
The restrictions, such as requiring flights beyond park boundaries or at higher altitudes, are intended to protect natural resources, tribal sites, and visitor experience in parks like Badlands and Mount Rushmore.
Congress appears sympathetic to the tour operators, with a House subcommittee acknowledging the potential for adverse economic effects and calling for further action to revise the ATMP process.

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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.