A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report notes that “the small size, lack of fuel capacity, and minimal destructive power of most general aviation aircraft make them unattractive to terrorists.”
Called “General Aviation Security: Increased Federal Oversight is Needed but Continued Partnership with the Private Sector is Critical to Long-Term Success,” the report concludes that continued partnerships between the GA industry and the government are vital to enhancing security at the nation’s nearly 19,000 GA airports.
GAO officials visited 31 GA airports. The report found that most of the airport managers had already established a number of security enhancements, using airport revenue or state or federal grant money. It also noted that many of the managers had created or updated security plans, shared those plans with tenants, or arranged for more patrols or an on-site presence of local law enforcement.
In addition, many pilots have taken actions to prevent unauthorized use of their aircraft, such as using prop or throttle locks or locking their aircraft in hangars.