For business aircraft operators interested in tracking the minute-by-minute progress of their aircraft in real-time, Aircraft Situation Display to Industry
(ASDI) data now are available to private subscribers through several vendors. The ASDI information includes the location, altitude, airspeed, destination,
estimated time of arrival and tail number or designated identifier of air carrier and general aviation aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within
U.S. airspace. Subscribers include flight departments, charter operators, limousine firms, airframe and power plant manufacturers, air carriers, FBOs,
research firms, and other users.
Operators with privacy and industrial security concerns for their operations resulting from the availability of ASDI data can block public dissemination
of these data through NBAA.
ASDI information has been available to scheduled airlines since 1991. NBAA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Aircraft Owners & Pilots
Association, the Helicopter Association International and the National Air Transportation Association petitioned the FAA to make ASDI information available
on a "need-to-know" basis in 1995. Subsequently, NBAA became concerned with the broad-scale dissemination of ASDI data. In 1997, NBAA began
working with the FAA and ASDI vendors to develop a system to help protect the privacy of general aviation operators engaging in IFR operations.
In 2005 NBAA participated in a thorough review of the BARR program with the FAA. NBAA Member flight departments expressed increasing concerns about
the protection of their passengers’ privacy and security as well as the protection of company proprietary information. This increased concern resulted
from a proliferation of ASDI vendors and vast improvements in technology since the late 1990’s that made it much easier for the casual citizen
to obtain flight information about aircraft that were on the BARR list via legal workarounds. A primary result of this review was the addition of new
option for blocking ASDI information at the FAA data source, eliminating any chance of the data being accidentally or intentionally released by ASDI
vendors. This FAA block restricts the use of flight tracking applications to monitor flights.
Operators may request that their aircraft's situational data be barred from public availability by submitting a Block Aircraft Registration Request
(BARR). NBAA will administer the BARR Database on behalf of the FAA. NBAA will manage BARR submissions for blocking by ASDI Vendors and
at the FAA Source.
Aircraft operators must submit a written request to NBAA to participate in the BARR Program. The request must be printed on company letterhead and include:
- a copy of the aircraft registration
- the make, model and tail number for each aircraft to be blocked
- the signature of the NBAA Member Representative (or if not an NBAA Member, the signature of the aircraft owner or operator)
Operators may use the BARR Submission Formatting Form to automatically format the required
information above into a letter to send to NBAA Headquarters, along with a copy of the aircraft registration.
Requests for adding/dropping aircraft from the list will be taken at any time, however the block will not go into effect immediately. The block database
at the FAA source at the VOLPE Center will be updated quarterly. Aircraft operators considering the FAA level block should first check with their flight tracking vendor to discuss the impact that this option will have on their ability to monitor flights. The block database will be submitted to ASDI vendors monthly. The following chart
reflects cut off dates and action dates for the adding/dropping from the block list.
| Option #1 – Blocked by ASDI Vendors |
| Requests Made by: |
the 15th of the month |
| Will be submitted to ASDI Vendors by: |
the 1st day of the following month |
| Option #2 – Blocked at FAA Source |
| Requests Made by: |
February 15 |
May 15 |
August 15 |
November 15 |
| Will take place by: |
1st Bus Day of Apr |
1st Bus Day of Jul |
1st Bus Day of Oct |
1st Bus Day of Jan |
BARR submissions must be faxed to (202) 478-0035 or mailed to:
NBAA
BARR Program Manager
1200 18th Street NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-2527
Once an aircraft's tail number has been added to the block list, operators must submit a written request to have their tail number removed from the block list. The request must be printed on company letterhead and include:
- a copy of the aircraft registration
- the make, model and tail number for each aircraft to be unblocked
- the signature of the NBAA Member Representative (or if not an NBAA Member, the signature of the aircraft owner or operator)
Operators may use the Unblock Formatting Form to automatically format the required
information above into a letter to send to NBAA Headquarters, along with a copy of the aircraft registration.
Unblock requests must be faxed to (202) 478-0035 or mailed to:
NBAA
BARR Program Manager
1200 18th Street NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-2527
NBAA developed a Vendor Code of Conduct in response to operator concerns about industrial espionage and personal security and safety of crew and
passengers. The Vendor Code of Conduct addresses specific actions ASDI vendors are expected to comply with that meet the intent of paragraph 9 of the
FAA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) vendors must sign in order to receive the FAA ASDI feed. All vendors, including third parties that direct vendors further
distribute the ASDI feed to, must print, sign and date the March 2006 Vendor Code of Conduct. The Vendor Code of Conduct should be mailed or faxed to
the BARR submission address mentioned in the BARR section above.
For more information about NBAA's BARR Program, please e-mail barr@nbaa.org.
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