Senate Tries to Reinstate BARR Program

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 10:38 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate passed an appropriations bill aimed at reinstating the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, allowing aircraft owners to opt out of public flight tracking.
This Senate action directly opposes the FAA's recent policy, implemented in August, to restrict BARR participation only to those with a "valid security concern."
The House has included a similar provision in its appropriations bill, and aviation groups are challenging the FAA's restrictions in court, indicating broad opposition to the limitations.

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The U.S. Senate moved to reinstate the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program last week with an appropriations bill that passed by a 69-30 vote, heating up a fight that began earlier this year after the FAA announced plans to restrict the program.

The bill prohibits the appropriated funds from being used to limit participation in BARR, a program established a decade ago to allow aircraft owners to opt-out of having their N-number and flight tracking information made public.