The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security has recently published a report that general aviation airports and general aviation aircraft present little threat to our safety. Terrorists are mainly interested in commercial aircraft which can be used to inflict serious damage such as that which occurred on 9/11. This report was greeted with cheers by the alphabet general aviation organizations who have long maintained that the perceived threat by the TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) were "overblown" and largely hypothetical in nature. Following are the key findings included in the 30-page study by the DHS-OIG:
- "We determined that general aviation presents only limited and mostly hypothetical threats to security. We also determined that the steps general aviation airport owners and managers have taken to enhance security are positive and effective."
- "The current status of [general aviation] operations does not present a serious homeland security vulnerability requiring TSA to increase regulatory oversight of the industry."
- "Although [TSA's Office of Intelligence] has identified potential threats, it has concluded that most [general aviation] aircraft are too light to inflict significant damage, and has not identified specific imminent threats from [general aviation] aircraft."
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