FAA to prohibit new ‘hangar homes’ with ‘through-the-fence access’ to U.S. airports

The Federal Aviation Administration has decided that it will no longer allow U.S. airports to permit private residences adjacent to the airport to have what is known as “through-the-fence access” to runways for the private aircraft they store at their “hangar homes.”

The FAA says it is prepared to tolerate existing through-the-fence situations at about 75 airports across the country, but will not permit new hangar home situations in the future. In a notice announcing its proposed policy change and inviting the public’s comments, the FAA indicated that through-the-fence access currently exists at less than three percent of the nation’s 3,000 “federally-obligated” airports (where the federal government makes investments in the airport’s infrastructure.)

“Given the potential for hardship and adverse effect on property values, the FAA does not believe a general policy against residential through-the-fence access should be applied retroactively to require sponsors to terminate existing uses,” says the FAA’s notice, which was published in the Federal Register on September 9.

Security concerns that could arise as a result of more openness at an airport did not seem to be paramount in the FAA’s thinking. Among the many comments the public has submitted regarding the proposed ban on new access, one suggested that “residential through-the-fence owners provide additional security at an airport,” said the notice.

The FAA does not seem to have bought that argument. “Residence of persons near the airport does not automatically translate into full-time surveillance,” said the FAA, in its response to that comment. “It is true that residents may notice suspicious activity, because they are familiar with the airport and are around more than persons who are just using the airport when they are flying or working on an aircraft. On the other hand, the existence of routine traffic through-the-fence from off-airport locations makes such activity less suspicious because it is expected.”

The FAA noted that it has consulted with the Transportation Security Administration to obtain that agency’s views on this subject. “While TSA does not directly regulate access at general aviation airports, that agency took the position that access points to an airport should be limited to the number necessary,” said the FAA.

The notice invites members of the public to comment on the proposed policy change by October 25 by visiting www.regulations.gov and citing docket number FAA-2010-0831.

 Further information is available from Randall Fiertz, of the FAA, at 202-267-3085 or randall.fiertz@faa.gov.