Restrictions on private planes around Washington, New York eased by FAA

WASHINGTON – Pilots will be able to move their private planes from the New York and Washington airports where they have been grounded since the terrorist attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday.

In addition, the 28-mile no-fly zone around both cities will be reduced at midnight EDT to about 20 miles. This will allow private planes to use Dulles Airport and the Montgomery County, Md., Airpark in the Washington area and Republic Airport on Long Island, said Warren Morningstar, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a trade group.

Private planes in the Washington and New York areas must file flight plans with the FAA before they take off.

"This is another small step forward," Morningstar said. "For the folks who previously couldn't use their airplanes at all, this gives a few of them some options."

Private planes will continue to be banned from Reagan National Airport, which reopened Thursday to some commercial flights for the first time since Sept. 11, and the three major New York City area airports: Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy.

The FAA said private planes at National and the New York City airports within the no-fly zones could be moved to other airports from Saturday to Tuesday.

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On the Net:

FAA notice: www.faa.gov/NTAP

APNP-10-05-01 1249CDT