[JYO] Secretary Mineta Re-Opens Skies to General Aviation from faa.gov site

Friday, September 14, 2001       
4:30 p.m. (EST)       
Contact: Bill Adams
Tel.: (202) 366-5580
DOT 97-01  

Secretary Mineta Re-Opens Skies to General Aviation 

Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta has approved restoration of the 
next phase of national air service, allowing certain general aviation flights 
back into
the air effective at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time today. 

"Effective today, general aviation - that important segment of aviation 
consisting of privately owned and operated aircraft - will be allowed to 
resume flights operating
under Instrument Flight Rules, or IFR," Secretary Mineta said. "Under IFR, 
certified pilots operate under direction from air traffic controllers, after 
filing specific flight
plans with the FAA."

Temporarily, however, general aviation flights will not be allowed to fly 
within 25 nautical miles of New York City and Washington, D.C. Those 
restrictions will be
kept in place until further notice as officials continue to assess the 
recovery situation in those cities over the near term.

The Secretary's decision today also permits the FAA to allow private aircraft 
owners to evacuate their aircraft under visual flight rules from harm's way 
during the
predicted approach of Tropical Storm Gabrielle within the states of Florida, 
Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama.

Secretary Mineta said he is hopeful that the remaining general aviation 
flights, those operating under Visual Flight Rules, can resume flying later 
this weekend.
Commercial flights were allowed to resume on Thursday, contingent upon 
airline and airport compliance with heightened security standards established 
by the
Federal Aviation Administration.

"We are restoring the national airspace system in a phased manner, after 
careful evaluation of the safety and security issues in each sector," the 
Secretary said.
"Again, I ask the patience of the flying public. Please remember that we are 
recovering from a massive disruption and widespread shock. But very soon we 
will work
our way back to full recovery." 

There are more than 200,000 privately owned and operated aircraft registered 
in the United States.

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