EAA Reviewing Lack of Super Bowl ATC Charges

February 6, 2014 - EAA is investigating reports that increased staffing and equipment for air traffic operations in the New York metropolitan area during Super Bowl XLVIII were not subject to event reimbursements, similar to those assessed during EAA AirVenture 2013 last summer.

EAA has been working in good faith based on the FAA's official ATO guidance, which states that the Super Bowl/NFL, NASCAR and other major aviation events will all reimburse the agency for air traffic control costs such as overtime, backfill costs, and so forth. In 2013, FAA officials told EAA those costs were the reason AirVenture was required to pay an assessment for ATC support at Oshkosh.

As AvWeb reported this week, the NFL or Super Bowl organizers not paying for similar costs for the Super Bowl creates a sense of inconsistency regarding exactly what the FAA policy is. EAA is currently investigating that further through a number of channels.