The ways in which an airplane can be used were horrifyingly exposed by the tragic incident that happened on U.S. soil. It inspired initiatives to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
After more than 20 years, the government is now considering relaxing the stringent safety regulations that prevent airplanes from flying above sporting events while they are in progress.
The Major leagues, such as the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NASCAR are all worried by this prospect.
According to ESPN, the NFL’s senior vice president of security, Cathy Lanier said, “I’m very worried,”
“Aircraft can be used as a weapon and that is one of the top concerns that we’ve had for 20 years.”
Currently, from one hour prior to the start of the event until one hour following its conclusion, a temporary flight restriction is in effect over any stadium or raceway with a seating capacity of more than 30,000. This establishes a no-fly zone three nautical miles and 3,000 feet above the stadium’s centre.
ESPN further explained that the House of Representatives has approved the novel FAA Reauthorization Act which “grant a flight waiver within three-quarters of a mile of a stadium during game day”.
Sam Graves, U.S. Representative (R-Missouri) said, “It’s simply wrong to suggest that existing flight restrictions have any connection to preventing terrorism,”
“It’s also wrong that a construction crew wanting to use a drone to inspect a roof three miles away — just to give an example — has to wait until a ballgame is over to do their job, or else they’re breaking federal law.”
The White House also issued statements regarding this, which say, “The bill could introduce unnecessary risks to those attending major sporting events if the effectiveness of safety and security buffers currently provided by temporary flight restrictions were to be decreased,”
Leagues such as the MLB, NFL, NASCAR, and NCAA have vehemently opposed the no-fly zone’s reduction in size.
The NFL is worried about the possibility of an error leading to a catastrophe in addition to the threat of a terrorist attack.
Lanier further explained, “A lot of individuals and others will want to fly over large crowds to advertise. And in that congested airspace, an accident is very much a concern,”.
