…But Whos Next?

Raissi is not the only pilot to be affected by post-9/11 security concerns and he may not be the last. As AVweb previously reported, the TSA remains the sole arbiter of who is (or isn’t) a security risk worthy of having his or her airman certificate pulled. An amendment requiring a third party to review such suspensions is contained in the FAA Reauthorization Bill that is currently stalled in Congress over air traffic control privatization. To date, 13 foreign pilots have had their U.S. certificates taken away because of security considerations since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, but seven of those appealed and three were reinstated after a review. AOPA, the National Business Aviation Association and other groups have lobbied for another avenue of appeal for the affected pilots.