49 CFR Part 1552 — Flight Training Security Program

PART 1552—FLIGHT TRAINING SECURITY PROGRAM Authority: 49 U.S.C. 114, 44939, and 6 U.S.C. 469. Source: 89 FR 35626, May 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—Definitions and General Requirements § 1552.1 Scope. This part includes requirements for the following persons: (a) Persons who provide flight training or flight training equipment governed by 49 U.S.C. subtitle VII, part A, to any individual. (b) Persons who lease flight training equipment. (c) Aliens who apply for or participate in flight training. (d) U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals who participate in flight training. [89 FR 35626, May 1, 2024, as amended at 91 FR 7161, Feb. 17, 2026] § 1552.3 Terms used in this part. In addition to the terms in §§ 1500.3 and 1540.5 of this chapter, the following terms apply to this part: Aircraft simulator Candidate Demonstration flight for marketing purposes DoD DoD endorsee Determination of Eligibility Determination of Ineligibility Flight training Flight training provider (1) Any person that provides instruction under 49 U.S.C. subtitle VII, part A, in the operation of any aircraft or aircraft simulator in the United States or outside the United States, including any pilot school, flight training center, air carrier flight training facility, or individual flight instructor certificated under 14 CFR parts 61, 121, 135, 141, or 142; (2) Similar persons certificated by foreign aviation authorities recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who provide flight training services in the United States; and (3) Any lessor of an aircraft or aircraft simulator for flight training, if the person leasing their equipment is not covered by paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition. Flight training provider employee Flight Training Security Program (FTSP) FTSP Portal FTSP Portal account Recurrent training (1) Periodic flight training— (i) Required for certificated pilots under 14 CFR parts 61, 121, 125, 135, or subpart K of part 91 to maintain a certificate or type rating; or (ii) Similar training required by a civil aviation authority recognized by the FAA and conducted within the United States and its territories. (2) Recurrent training does not include— (i) Training that may be credited toward a new certificate or a new type rating; or (ii) Checks or tests that do not affect the validity of the certificate(s) or the qualifications of a type rating. Security threat Security threat assessment Simulated flight for entertainment purposes Type rating [89 FR 35626, May 1, 2024, as amended at 91 FR 7161, Feb. 17, 2026] § 1552.5 Applicability. Each of the following persons must comply with the requirements in this part: (a) Any individual applying for flight training or recurrent flight training from a flight training provider; (b) Flight training providers; (c) Flight training provider employees; and (d) Persons using a leased aircraft simulator to provide flight training as follows: (1) If one or more persons using the leased aircraft simulator to provide flight training is certificated by the FAA as a flight instructor, then at least one of those certificated persons must register with TSA as a flight training provider and comply with the requirements of this part; or (2) If one or more persons using a leased aircraft simulator to provide flight training are neither registered with TSA as a flight training provider nor certificated by the FAA as an instructor, then the lessor of the aircraft simulator must register with TSA as a flight training provider and comply with the requirements of this part. § 1552.7 Verification of eligibility. (a) No flight training provider may provide flight training or access to flight training equipment to any individual before establishing that the individual is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, DoD endorsee, or candidate with a valid Determination of Eligibility resulting from a TSA-accepted security threat assessment completed in accordance with subpart B of this part. (1) To establish that an individual is a U.S. citizen or a U.S. national, each flight training provider must examine the individual's government-issued documentation as proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality. A student who claims to be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. national and who fails to provide valid, acceptable identification documents must be denied flight training. A list of acceptable identification documents may be found on the FTSP Portal. (2) To establish that an individual has been endorsed by the DoD to receive U.S. Government-sponsored flight training in the United States, each flight training provider must use the FTSP Portal to confirm that the endorsee's government-issued photo identification matches the information provided in the U.S. DoD endorsement available on the FTSP Portal. A DoD endorsee is exempt from the requirement to undergo the security threat assessment required by this part if the DoD attaché with jurisdiction for the foreign military pilot's country of citizenship has notified TSA through the FTSP Portal that the pilot may participate in U.S. Government-sponsored flight training. (3) To establish that a candidate has undergone a TSA-accepted security threat assessment, each flight training provider must use the FTSP Portal to confirm that TSA has issued a Determination of Eligibility to that candidate and that the determination is valid. (b) Each flight training provider must immediately terminate a candidate's participation in all ongoing or planned flight training events when TSA either sends a Determination of Ineligibility for that candidate or notifies the flight training provider that the candidate presents a security threat. (c) Each flight training provider must acknowledge through the FTSP Portal receipt of any of the following TSA notifications: Determination of Ineligibility; Candidate Security Threat; and Deny Candidate Flight Training. (d) Each flight training provider must notify TSA if the provider becomes aware that a candidate is involved in any alleged criminal disqualifying offenses, as described under § 1544.229(d) of this subchapter; is no longer permitted to remain in the United States, as described in § 1552.35; or has reason to believe the individual otherwise poses a security threat. § 1552.9 Security Coordinator. (a) Designation of a Security Coordinator. (b) Notification to TSA. (c) Role of Security Coordinator. (1) Serves as the primary contact for intelligence information and security-related activities and communications with TSA. Any individual designated as a Security Coordinator may perform other duties in addition to those described in this section. (2) Is accessible to TSA on a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week basis. (3) Coordinates security practices and procedures internally, and with appropriate law enforcement and emergency response agencies. (d) Training for Security Coordinator. (1) Their local TSA office; (2) The local Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office; and (3) Local law enforcement, if a situation or an individual's behavior could pose an immediate threat. § 1552.11 [Reserved] § 1552.13 Security awareness training. (a) Each flight training provider must ensure that each flight training provider employee who has direct contact with flight students completes a security awareness training program that meets the requirements of this section. (b) Each flight training provider must ensure that each flight training provider employee who has direct contact with flight students receives initial security awareness training within 60 days of hiring. At a minimum, initial security awareness training must— (1) Require direct participation by the flight training provider employee receiving the training, either in person or through an online training module; (2) Provide situational scenarios requiring the flight training provider employee receiving the training to assess specific situations and determine appropriate courses of action; and (3) Contain information that enables a flight training provider employee to identify the following: (i) Any restricted areas of the flight training provider or airport where the flight training provider operates and individuals authorized to be in these areas or in or on equipment, including designations such as uniforms or badges unique to the flight training provider and required to be worn by employees or other authorized persons. (ii) Behavior that may be considered suspicious, including, but not limited to— (A) Excessive or unusual interest in restricted airspace or restricted ground structures by unauthorized individuals; (B) Unusual questions or interest regarding aircraft capabilities; (C) Aeronautical knowledge inconsistent with the individual's existing airman credentialing; and (D) Sudden termination of instruction by a candidate or other student. (iii) Indications that candidates are being trained without a Determination of Eligibility or validation of exempt status. (iv) Behavior by other persons on site that may be considered suspicious, including, but not limited to— (A) Loitering on or around the operations of a flight training provider for extended periods of time; and (B) Entering “authorized access only” areas without permission. (v) Circumstances regarding aircraft that may be considered suspicious, including, but not limited to— (A) Unusual modifications to aircraft, such as the strengthening of landing gear, changes to the tail number, or stripping of the aircraft of seating or equipment; (B) Damage to propeller locks or other parts of an aircraft that is inconsistent with the pilot training or aircraft flight log; and (C) Dangerous or hazardous cargo loaded into an aircraft. (vi) Appropriate flight training provider employee responses to specific situations and scenarios, including— (A) Identifying suspicious behavior requiring action, such as identifying anomalies within the operational environment considering the totality of the circumstances, and appropriate actions to take; (B) When and how to safely question an individual if the individual's behavior is suspicious; and (C) Informing a supervisor and the flight training provider's Security Coordinator, if a situation or an individual's behavior warrants further investigation. (vii) Any other information relevant to security measures or procedures unique to the flight training provider's business, such as threats, past security incidents, or a site-specific TSA requirement. (c) All flight training providers must ensure that each employee receives refresher security awareness training at least every 2 years. At a minimum, a refresher security awareness training program must— (1) Include all the elements from the initial security awareness training; (2) Provide instruction on any new security measures or procedures implemented by the flight training provider since the last security awareness training program; (3) Relay information about recent security incidents at the flight training provider's business, if any, and any lessons learned as a result of such incidents; (4) Cover any new threats posed by, or incidents involving, general or commercial aviation aircraft; and (5) Provide instruction on any new TSA requirements concerning the security of general or commercial aviation aircraft, airports, or flight training operations. (d) Flight training providers who must conduct security awareness training under part 1544 or 1546 of this subchapter may deliver that training in lieu of compliance with paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section. § 1552.15 Recordkeeping. (a) Retention. (b) Employee records. (1) Retain security awareness training records for each employee required to receive training that includes, at a minimum— (i) The employee's name; (ii) The dates the employee received security awareness training; (iii) The name of the instructor or manager for training; and (iv) The curricula or syllabus used for the most recently provided training that establishes the training meets the criteria specified in § 1552.13. (2) Retain records of security training for no less than 1 year after the individual is no longer an employee. (3) Provide records to current and former employees upon request and at no charge as necessary to provide proof of training. At a minimum, the information provided must include— (i) The information in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, except that, in lieu of providing the curriculum or syllabus, the flight training provider may provide a statement certifying that the training program used by the flight training provider met the criteria specified in § 1552.13; and (ii) The signature or e-signature of an authorized official of the provider. (4) A flight training provider that conducts security awareness training under parts 1544 or 1546 of this subchapter may retain that documentation in lieu of compliance with this section. (c) Records demonstrating eligibility for flight training for U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals. (2) Each flight training provider may certify that verification of U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality occurred by making the following endorsement in both the instructor's and the student's logbooks: “I certify that [insert student's full name] has presented to me a [insert type of document presented, such as U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport, and the relevant control or sequential number on the document, if any] establishing that [the student] is a U.S. citizen or U.S. national in accordance with 49 CFR 1552.7(a). [Insert date and the instructor's signature and certificate number.]” (3) In lieu of paragraph (c)(1) or (2) of this section, the flight training provider may make and retain copies of the documentation establishing an individual as a U.S. citizen or U.S. national. (d) Leasing agreements. (e) Records maintenance. (2) A flight training provider that uses its FTSP Portal account to confirm or manage the following records is not required to maintain separate electronic or paper copies of the following records: (i) Security awareness training records; (ii) Security Coordinator training records; (iii) Verification of U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality; (iv) Verification of DoD Endorsee identity; or (v) Aircraft or aircraft simulator lease agreements. § 1552.17 FTSP Portal. (a) Candidates must obtain an FTSP Portal account and use the FTSP Portal to submit the information and fees necessary to initiate a security threat assessment under subpart B of this part. (b) Flight training providers who provide flight training to candidates must obtain an FTSP Portal account and use the FTSP Portal to notify TSA of all candidate flight training events and confirm that a candidate is eligible for flight training. The flight training provider also may use the FTSP Portal for other recordkeeping purposes related to the requirements in § 1552.15. (c) The FTSP Portal account administrator for flight training providers who operate under 14 CFR part 61, either as an individual certified flight instructor, or for a group of certified flight instructors, must be an FAA certificate holder. The FTSP Portal account administrator for flight training providers who operate under 14 CFR parts 121, 135, 141, and 142 is not required to be an FAA certificate holder. (d) TSA may suspend a flight training provider's access to the FTSP Portal at any time, without advance notice. § 1552.19 Fraud, falsification, misrepresentation, or omission. If an individual covered by this part commits fraud, makes a false statement or misrepresentation, or omits a material fact when submitting any information required under this part, the individual may be— (a) Subject to fine or imprisonment or both under Federal law, including, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 49 U.S.C. 46301; (b) Denied a security threat assessment under this chapter; and/or (c) Subject to other enforcement or administrative action, as appropriate, including, but not limited to, proceedings under § 1540.103 of this subchapter. Subpart B—Security Threat Assessments § 1552.31 Security threat assessment required for flight training candidates. (a) Scope of security threat assessment. (b) Information required. (1) Biographic and biometric information determined by TSA to be necessary for conducting a security threat assessment; (2) Identity verification documents; and (3) The applicable security threat assessment fee identified in § 1552.39. (c) TSA Determination of Eligibility. (1) Confirmation of the candidate's identity; (2) A check of relevant databases and other information to determine whether the candidate may pose or poses a security threat and to confirm the individual's identity; (3) An immigration check; and (4) An FBI fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine whether the individual has a disqualifying criminal offense in accordance with the requirements of § 1544.229 of this subchapter. (d) Term of TSA Determination of Eligibility. (i) The candidate commits a disqualifying criminal offense described in § 1544.229(d) of this subchapter and, in such case, the Determination of Eligibility expires on the date the candidate was convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity; (ii) TSA determines that the candidate poses a security threat; or (iii) The candidate's authorization to remain in the United States expires earlier than 5 years and, in such case, the Determination of Eligibility expires on the date that the candidate's authorization to remain in the United States expires. Candidates may extend the term of their Determination of Eligibility up to a total of 5 years by submitting updated documentation of authorization to remain in the United States. (2) No candidate may engage in flight training after the expiration of the candidate's Determination of Eligibility. (e) Processing time. (f) Correction of the record. § 1552.33 [Reserved] § 1552.35 Presence in the United States. (a) A candidate may be eligible to participate in flight training if the candidate— (1) Is lawfully admitted to the United States, or entered the United States and has been granted permission to stay by the U.S. Government, or is otherwise authorized to be employed in the United States; and (2) Is within their period of authorized stay in the United States. (b) A candidate who has yet to obtain a valid document issued by the United States evidencing eligibility to take flight training may be issued a preliminary Determination of Eligibility pending the individual's ability to provide proof of eligibility. (c) A candidate who engages in a flight training event that takes place entirely outside the United States is not required to provide eligibility for flight training in the United States, but must provide any United States visas held by the candidate. (d) Any history of denial of a United States visa may be a factor in determining whether a candidate is eligible to participate in flight training, regardless of training location. § 1552.37 Comparable security threat assessments. (a) TSA may accept the results of a comparable, valid, and unexpired security threat assessment, background check, or investigation conducted by TSA or by another U.S. Government agency, which TSA generally describes as a Determination of Eligibility. A candidate seeking to rely on a comparable security threat assessment must submit documents confirming their Determination of Eligibility through the FTSP Portal, including the biographic and biometric information required under § 1552.31. TSA will post a list of acceptable comparable security threat assessments on the FTSP Portal. (b) TSA will charge a fee to cover the costs of confirming a comparable security threat assessment, but this fee may be a reduced fee. (c) An FTSP reduced-fee security threat assessment based on a comparable security threat assessment will be valid in accordance with § 1552.31. § 1552.39 Fees. (a) Imposition of fees. Federal Register (2) Changes to the fee amounts will be published through notice in the Federal Register (3) TSA will publish the details of the fee methodology in the rulemaking docket. (b) Refunding fees. Subpart C—Flight Training Event Management § 1552.51 Notification and processing of flight training events. (a) Notification of flight training events. (b) Training event details. (1) Candidate name; (2) The rating(s) that the candidate could receive upon completion of the flight training, if any; (3) For recurrent flight training, the type rating for which the recurrent training is required; (4) Estimated start and end dates of the flight training; and (5) Location(s) where the flight training is anticipated to occur. (c) Acknowledgement. (d) Candidate photograph. (e) Waiting period. (f) Waiting period for expedited processing. (1) More than 5 business days have elapsed since TSA acknowledged receipt of the information required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section; and (2) TSA has provided confirmation in its acknowledgement to the flight training provider that the candidate is eligible for expedited processing. A candidate is eligible for expedited processing if the candidate has provided proof to TSA that the candidate— (i) Holds an FAA airman certificate with a type rating; (ii) Holds an airman certificate, with a type rating, from a foreign country that is recognized by an agency of the United States, including a military agency; (iii) Is employed by a domestic or foreign air carrier that has an approved security program under parts 1544 or 1546 of this subchapter, respectively; (iv) Is an individual that has unescorted access to a secured area of an airport as determined under part 1542 of this subchapter; or (v) Is a lawful permanent resident. (g) Update training event details. (1) Actual start and end dates. (2) Actual training location(s). (3) Notification if training was not completed, to include a brief description of why the training was not completed, e.g.,

Related documents

• 32 CFR Part 155 — Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Program#508535
• 47 CFR Part 87 — Aviation Services#510840
• 14 CFR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules#505713
• 49 CFR Part 1544 — Aircraft Operator Security: Air Carriers and Commercial Operators#512056
• 32 CFR Part 156 — Department of Defense Personnel Security Program (PSP)#508536