The FAA recently updated its ADS-B Privacy International Civil Aviation Organization Address program, also known as PIA, with changes designed to streamline the process for pilots to opt out of real-time ADS-B flight tracking.
Under PIA, which has been in effect since 2019, pilots can request a temporary ICAO aircraft address that is not associated with the aircraft owner listed in the Civil Aviation Registry.
This allows ADS-B tracking to continue, while shielding the pilot from flight tracking from the general public, according to FAA officials.
To participate in the program, aircraft must:
Be registered in the United States
Be equipped with 1090 MHz ADS-B
Use a third-party call sign and
Fly in U.S.-managed flight information regions.
Why is PIA Needed?
ADS-B Out operates by transmitting an aircraft’s unique ICAO aircraft address, making identification by any individual with an ADS-B receiver possible, FAA officials noted
“Real-time tracking of the geographic location of a specific aircraft is possible, generating privacy concerns for the aircraft operator community,” FAA officials continued, noting that several general aviation advocacy groups, including the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) have stated that this “lack of privacy” is a barrier to general aviation pilots equipping their airplanes with ADS-B.
That led to the agency creating the PIA program, designed to “improve the privacy of aircraft operators in today’s ADS-B environment by limiting the extent to which the aircraft can be quickly and easily identified by non-U.S. government entities, while ensuring there is no adverse effect on Air Traffic Control (ATC) services.”
Among the latest updates to the program is a change that makes aircraft information that is held by the FAA, and associated with a PIA, exempt from requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
According to FAA officials, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 permits withholding of “the registration number and other similar identifiable data or information” at the request of the aircraft owner or operator.
Another update deals with the renewal of PIAs, noting that pilots can request a new PIA after a 20-day period from a previous PIA assignment. Pilots can use their PIA for as long as they wish or may periodically request a new one, according to FAA officials.
For more information: FAA.gov/Air_Traffic/Technology/EquipADSB/Privacy
