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

Verified

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

Key Takeaways:

Helicopter air tour operators, led by the Helicopter Association International (HAI), are opposing new federal Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) that significantly restrict or eliminate flights over national parks.
Operators argue that the rules, which include new flight altitude and boundary restrictions for parks like Badlands and Mount Rushmore, were developed through a "rushed and misguided process" without sufficient stakeholder input, making operations uneconomical and raising safety concerns.
Congress appears sympathetic to the operators' concerns, acknowledging potential adverse economic impacts, limitations on public access to parks, and is calling for further action to correct the ATMP development process.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.