Helicopter Association International (HAI) applauds the US House of Representatives for approving H.R. 1262, the Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2021. HAI supports this bill to enhance aviation safety by improving the accuracy of information included in FAA Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs).

The legislation requires that the FAA establish a task force to recommend improvements for its pilot alert system. NOTAMs provide safety-critical flight information to individuals involved with flight operations and are delivered through a pilot alert system. These notices concern the establishment, condition, or change of any component in the National Airspace System (NAS) and alert pilots of abnormalities in the NAS such as hazards along the flight path, closed runways, or military exercises with resulting airspace restrictions. Although NOTAMs provide valuable information not known far in advance, they are often lengthy and convoluted and may be inaccurate or incomplete. The current presentation of NOTAMs puts pilots at a severe disadvantage when trying to quickly interpret essential flight information, thus compromising the safety of the aircraft.

The Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2021 creates a task force that will help prioritize critical information and improve the accuracy of NOTAMs. The task force will comprise representatives of air carriers, unions, and general and business aviation as well as experts in safety and human factors. Members of the task force will collaborate to recommend improvements to the NOTAMs, ensuring that the most important information is prioritized and that the notices are complete and accurate.

HAI commends the US House of Representatives for passing legislation to further enhance aviation safety. Enhancing the information provided to pilots, and ensuring that NOTAMs provide essential, real-time information about potential hazards, is a critical improvement long overdue.