Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act

Key Points

• This bill, called the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act, stops the government and private companies from using flight tracking data to identify planes just to send the owners a bill or charge them a fee. It ensures that tracking technology is used for safety and keeping air traffic moving, not for tracking people down to collect money.
• Airports would have to follow new rules before they can charge landing or take-off fees to small, private planes. Before charging these pilots, an airport must show the public what they are doing to save money in other areas and how these fees might hurt local flight schools, student pilots, and small businesses.
• Any money an airport collects from private pilots could only be spent on safety projects, like fixing runways or taxiways. Airports would no longer be allowed to use fees from small planes to pay for things like terminal upgrades or other expenses that aren't directly related to the safety of the airfield.
• The bill also strengthens privacy by preventing federal, state, and local officials from using certain flight data during investigations. This is meant to protect the privacy of pilots who are flying for personal or recreational reasons rather than for big airlines or the military.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.