Tail Numbers Must Be Disclosed, Says Federal Judge

Aircraft tail numbers submitted to the National Business Aviation Association's Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program must be made available in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, a District of Columbia federal judge has ruled. However, the ruling does not permit disclosure of real-time flight data, historical data or operator names. The BARR program, which was established in response to security concerns and competitive situations, allows NBAA members to have their flight information withheld from release outside the FAA. ProPublica, which describes itself as an independent, nonprofit producer of investigative journalism, challenged the program in December 2008 when it filed a Freedom of Information Act request shortly after the Big Three automakers flew their corporate aircraft to Washington to ask for federal bailouts.