• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
General Aviation News

General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

  • Pictures of the Day
    • Submit Picture of the Day
  • Stories
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Products
    • NTSB Accidents
    • ASRS Reports
  • Comments
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
  • Events
  • Digital Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

BTV named gateway airport

By Janice Wood · February 17, 2011 ·

Burlington International Airport (BTV) in Vermont has been named one of 32 TSA-designated Gateway Airports in the United States, while Heritage Aviation received DCA approval as a charter operator and FBO. These combined approvals mean pilots and passengers can now fly directly to Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Airport from Burlington International Airport.

“We’ve been eagerly anticipating this permission from TSA,” noted BTV Director of Aviation Brian Searles. “Direct flight access to our nation’s capital is a key addition to our current flight selection, both in scheduled passenger carriers and charter carriers.”

Heritage Aviation President Chris Hill was also pleased. “Being an approved air charter carrier for D.C., this recent announcement allows us to fly directly from our BTV base to the closest airport to Washington D.C.”

In the wake of 9/11, general aviation was barred from using Reagan Airport. Four years after 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) opened DCA to corporate, charter, and general aviation through a complicated process called DCA Access Standard Security Program (DASSP). However, they could not fly into DCA directly but had to pass through one of a number of designated “Gateway Airports.”

In 2009, Heritage Aviation became a TSA-approved DCA Access Charter Operator. Heritage Aviation’s Fixed Based Operator (FBO) division received DCA approval the following year. The announcement of Burlington International becoming a “Gateway Airport” marks the final step for direct D.C.A. access compliance, FBO officials note.

For more information: FlyHeritage.com

About Janice Wood

Janice Wood is editor of General Aviation News.

Share this story

  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit Share on Reddit
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Become better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

© 2025 Flyer Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Photographer’s Guidelines