Oct. 16, 2014
Contact: Steve Hedges
301-695-2159
FREDERICK, Md. – In response to the announcement that John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will leave the agency at the end of the year, Mark Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), issued the following statement:
For the past four years, TSA Administrator John Pistole has led his agency with conviction and a clear focus on protecting our nation’s aviation system and infrastructure. His willingness to listen to the concerns of the general aviation community and move toward a risk-based approach to security represents an important step in right-sizing security measures at our nation’s airports. We appreciate Administrator Pistole’s strong leadership and wish him well in his future endeavors. We look forward to working with his successor and all of TSA’s leadership to ensure that general aviation security measures are both effective and appropriate.”
ABOUT AOPA
Since 1939, AOPA has protected the freedom to fly for thousands of pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts. AOPA is the world’s largest aviation member association, with representatives based in Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., and seven regions across the United States. AOPA provides member services that range from advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, flight planning products, safety programs and award-winning media. To learn more, visit www.aopa.org.
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Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole announced Oct. 16 that he would retire from the helm of the agency on Dec. 31. According to the TSA, Pistole is the longest serving administrator the agency has had. His nomination to head the TSA was confirmed in 2010.
In response to Pistole’s retirement announcement, AOPA President Mark Baker said, “For the past four years, TSA Administrator John Pistole has led his agency with conviction and a clear focus on protecting our nation’s aviation system and infrastructure. His willingness to listen to the concerns of the general aviation community and move toward a risk-based approach to security represents an important step in right-sizing security measures at our nation’s airports. We appreciate Administrator Pistole’s strong leadership and wish him well in his future endeavors. We look forward to working with his successor and all of TSA’s leadership to ensure that general aviation security measures are both effective and appropriate.”
Shortly after Pistole’s confirmation, he and then Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met with AOPA and other general aviation associations at EAA AirVenture in 2010 to open a dialogue about GA-specific issues. As AOPA reported after that meeting, the two announced they would eliminate some of the redundancies between the TSA’s international waiver requirements and Custom and Border Protection’s Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS). Both followed through and removed duplicative requirements.
Before leading the TSA, Pistole worked elsewhere in the agency for four years and with the FBI for 26 years, according to the TSA.