Recently, when top executives of the Big 3 auto makers flew on their business aircraft to make an appeal for bailout money from Congress, the expense of flying on private planes in the face of their obvious financial crisis was questioned. NBAA Members, who have long understood the place business aviation holds in modern commerce, were quick to answer the media’s questions.

The next time the Big 3 traveled to make an appeal, however, they took other transportation. Though the executives’ use of business aircraft wasn’t so much the issue as their use of it at a time when they were threatening bankruptcies that could cripple the nation’s economy further, the misconceptions many people hold about the use of private aircraft became clear during the national debate over the issue.

The generally held belief that only the most wealthy and high-powered executives running major corporations were the ones to ever use business aircraft was countered by the NBAA’s explanation that most business aircraft, about 85 percent in fact, were used by small businesses, mid-size businesses and non-profit organizations. The NBAA also proved another widely held belief to be a myth—that only CEOs rode on these private aircraft. They explained that 86 percent of those who regularly fly on business airplanes are not CEOs, but salespeople and other mid-level employees.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as of May 18, will now require the security measures followed by commercial international flights arriving in or departing from the United States, to be followed by smaller, business aircraft flying internationally, as well. Currently, business flights submit the Private Aircraft Enforcement System Arrival Report (Form 178) to the United States Customs and Border Protection Department (CBP) when making an international flight. Submission of this form is no longer necessary under the new regulations.

Now, 60 minutes before such an aircraft leaves the United States or arrives, the general aviation operators (GA) are required to provide a complete manifest of all passengers as well as information regarding the owner and operator of the aircraft. The CBP requires that the operators supply this information through the electronic Advanced Passenger Information System, otherwise referred to as eAPIS. Operators may also transfer the information through a third party who can send the information online, if they have no Internet access.

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