Olympic flight restrictions get tighter

By Mike M. Ahlers
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Officials of the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) say the agency will bring aircraft traffic in the Salt Lake City area to a standstill during the opening and closing ceremonies next month.

The FAA also has plans to severely restrict flights by charter planes and private aircraft for the 17-day duration of the games.

The restrictions, already the tightest in Olympic history, were withdrawn and strengthened by federal authorities following the September 11 attacks.

The centerpiece of the revised restrictions released this week is a 45-nautical-mile-wide "Olympic ring airspace" encompassing the city and all 10 Olympic venues. Authorities had planned a 30-mile-wide ring before the attacks, said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer.

During the opening and closing ceremonies, only emergency and military aircraft will be allowed to operate inside the Olympic ring. Scheduled airline service will be stopped, although that's the only planned interruption to commercial airline service.

But it's a different story for general aviation craft, a category that includes most other types of aviation.

General aviation craft wanting to enter the 45-mile Olympic ring from February 8 through February 24 must first stop at one of four "gateway airports," where special Olympic security inspectors will check the planes for terrorists and weapons.

Once inside the Olympic ring, the craft will encounter additional flight restrictions over the 10 venues -- restricted zones within the restricted zone, Kenitzer said.

Pilots wanting to land at airports inside the 45-mile ring or at four airports outside the perimeter must first obtain security clearance and apply for landing "slots." The slots -- or reservations -- will let air traffic controllers know "who's coming when," Kenitzer said.

The flight restrictions were developed by the Secret Service, which under federal law has responsibility for security matters at the Olympic Games.

Restrictions criticized

General aviation groups this week denounced the flight restrictions, saying they're more onerous than necessary.

Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), said that while he understands the need for security, "We are disappointed that security officials ignored AOPA's recommendation to allow local operations in a manner that did not jeopardize security."

Businesses at Salt Lake City area airports said they'd hoped for an Olympic business boom, but now fear a bust.

"Some businesses are going to be hurt," said Steve Gleason, manager of the Provo Municipal Airport. Flight schools and fixed base operators -- who provide other aviation services -- may have difficulty paying salaries and overhead during the three-week business interruption, he said.

Under the FAA restrictions, the Provo airport will only be allowed to accommodate six take-offs or landings an hour, he said.

"However, that said, from an airport standpoint, I think (the Olympics) will be a positive in the long run. Maybe in the long run people will think of us as a stopover... once they see what we have," he said.