Airlines for America (A4A), a regulatory airline-industry trade organization has appealed to the US government for the development of a GPS spectrum protection policy. This aviation-based policy development has been proposed to successfully avoid any possibility of threat caused by spectrum interference.
The Senior Vice President – Safety, Security and Operations at A4A, Tom Hendricks stated that GPS is vital to the air navigation system as well as to the customers who travel by air. Hendricks, in his testimony presented to the House Aviation Subcommittee, explained the high risk factor for the communities, shippers and passengers who depend on air service. He stated that the risk factor is significantly high for shippers, passengers and communities that depend on air service and it is not right to leave anything to chance and that we must to utilize GPS to benefit us the most.
The A4A appealed that the GPS policy be developed in coordination with both domestic and international authorities in an effort to protect GPS spectrum worldwide.
The National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing has responded to the appeal by stating its intention to draft GPS spectrum interference standards. In a recent House Aviation Subcommittee hearing, it was decided that means must be taken to protect GPS from external interference. Furthermore, it was agreed upon by DOT representative, A4A, Airline Pilots Association, Garmin, the International Civil Aviation Organization, AOPA and the George Washington University Pace Policy Institute that current international and national agreements need to be revised and strengthened in order to eliminate disruptions caused to GPS based transportation services.