National Parks Air Tour Management Program

the Federal Aviation Administration Seal and the National Park Service Arrowhead

FAA seal / NPS arrowhead

National Parks Air Tour Management Program

The National Park Service (NPS) is working diligently in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the National Park Air Tour Management Act of 2000, which was signed into law on April 5, 2000.

The Act requires operators wishing to conduct commercial air tours over national parks, or over tribal lands within or abutting national parks, to apply to the FAA for authority to conduct such tours. The Act further requires FAA, in cooperation with the NPS, to establish air tour management plans for parks or tribal lands for which applications are submitted.

The page contains background information, progress updates, frequently asked questions, and additional resources.

Information on current planning and progress, including links to completed Air Tour Management Plans, is also available.

Park Units that Require an Air Tour Management Plan or Agreement

A pink and purple sunset over the red spires of Bryce Canyon's hoodoos
Bryce Canyon National Park

NPS Photo

The National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (NPATMA) governs commercial air tours over national parks, and tribal lands within or abutting national parks, and establishes oversight authority by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the operators wishing to conduct such tours. The Act requires that the FAA, and the National Park Service (NPS), jointly develop Air Tour Management Plan (ATMPs) for park or tribal lands within or abutting a National Park where air tour operations occur or are proposed. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 amended the Act to allow the FAA and the NPS to enter into voluntary agreements (VAs) with air tour operators as an alternative to developing ATMPs. The 2012 amendments also exempt national parks with 50 or fewer tours annually from the ATMP and VA requirements.

On February 14, 2019, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Hawaii Coalition Malama Pono filed a petition for writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking to have the FAA and the NPS complete air tour management plans or voluntary agreements at seven specified parks. On May 1, 2020, the Court granted the petition and ordered the FAA and the NPS to file a proposed schedule within 120 days for bringing 23 parks into compliance with NPATMA within two years or to provide specific concrete reasons why it would take longer. The agencies will also be required to submit quarterly updates on their progress.

The agencies submitted the proposed plan to the Court for approval on August 31, 2020. As of the submission date, there were no ATMPs in place for the 23 parks that are required to have an ATMPs, as mandated by the NPATMA and the Court. On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit approved the agencies’ (FAA/NPS) proposed plan and schedule for completing ATMPs at the 23 parks. The court also approved the agencies’ schedule for progress updates to the Court with the first update required to be submitted on November 30, 2020, and subsequent progress updates at 90-day intervals thereafter.

The NPS and the FAA are working together to implement NPATMA. Voluntary agreements are currently in place in four parks (Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, and Rainbow Bridge National Monument). Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Rainbow Bridge National Monument are in the group of 23 parks because voluntary agreements are in place for only seven of the nine operators. Under the Act, the agencies must complete voluntary agreements with the remaining operators who have not yet signed one or do an ATMP to cover both parks.

In order to comply with agreed upon plan from the court, the agencies intend to begin work on all 23 ATMPs at the same time, and, to the maximum extent possible, consolidate the administrative processes and streamline activities under NEPA, in order to complete all of the ATMPs within two years.

a panorama image of snow and glacier capped Mount Rainer and forested valley below
Mountain Rainier National Park

B. Burnett

Frequently Asked Questions

The National Parks Air Tour Management Act, which Congress passed in 2000, governs commercial air tours over national parks, except Grand Canyon National Park, which is governed by separate legislation, and parks in Alaska. It requires that the FAA, in cooperation with the NPS, develop Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs) or voluntary agreements for each park where commercial air tour operations occur or are proposed.

A commercial air tour is any flight conducted for compensation or hire in a powered aircraft where the purpose of the flight is sightseeing over a national park or within ½ mile outside of the boundary of the park and is below 5,000' AGL (above ground level) and less than 1 mile laterally from any geographic feature within the park.

Air tours subject to regulation under the National Parks Air Tour Management Act do not include flights conducted for other purposes (e.g., commercial jets or military overflights), nor does it apply to air tours conducted over lands that are greater than ½ mile from the park boundary or public lands managed by agencies other than the National Park Service.

The National Parks Air Tour Management Act defines an ATMP as a plan to develop acceptable and effective measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tour operations upon natural and cultural resources, visitor experiences, and tribal lands.

As an alternative to an ATMP, the NPS and the FAA may enter into voluntary agreements with all commercial air tour operators (including new entrant commercial air tour operators and operators that have interim operating authority) that have applied to conduct commercial air tour operations over a national park. As the name implies, such an agreement is voluntary and signed by the FAA, the NPS, and the air tour operators at a specific park.

Like an ATMP, a voluntary agreement addresses the management issues necessary to protect park resources and visitor experience without compromising aviation safety or the air traffic control system. Voluntary agreements can establish conditions for air tours over a park, including routes and altitudes, number of flights, aircraft type , hours of operation, and reporting requirements. Unlike ATMPs, voluntary agreements do not require compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act or other environmental laws.

The National Parks Air Tour Management Act exempts parks with 50 or fewer commercial air tour operations each year from the requirement to prepare an ATMP or voluntary agreement. Based on reports from air tour operators, 54 national parks for which operators hold Interim Operating Authority are currently exempt. The number of exempt parks may change from year to year based on data reported by air tour operators. National parks in Alaska are also exempted from the Act. Air tours over Grand Canyon National Park are subject to separate legislation.

While the National Parks Air Tour Management Act provides an exemption to the ATMP requirement for parks with 50 or fewer commercial air tour operations each year, the NPS may withdraw an exemption if the NPS determines that an ATMP or voluntary agreement is necessary to protect park resources and values or park visitor use and enjoyment. The NPS withdrew the exemption for Mount Rainier National Park, Death Valley National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and Muir Woods National Monument.

ATMPs include conditions designed to protect natural and cultural resources and visitor experience. These conditions may include the number of authorized air tours, routes, altitude, aircraft type, day or time restrictions, and restrictions for particular events. Standoff distances can also be established for special status species or cultural and tribal resources. Each final ATMP identifies how the ATMP conditions protect natural and cultural resources and visitor experience for that park or parks.

An ATMP can allow for restrictions for particular events, which are intended to prevent interruptions of Park events or tribal practices. The ATMP may include additional conditions as identified during consultations with Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiians, such as restrictions for particular days, seasons, or a complete prohibition.

The NPS and FAA comply with all applicable laws, including the National Parks Air Tour Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.  Additionally, the FAA reviews all ATMPs to ensure compliance with safety protocols. Park-specific information can be found in the ATMP Record of Decision – Consultation and Compliance.

On February 14, 2019, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Hawai'i Coalition Malama Pono filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit requesting that the Court order the agencies to complete ATMPs for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Haleakalā National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, Glacier National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. On May 1, 2020, the Court granted the petition and ordered the agencies to submit a schedule for bringing all eligible parks (based on reported air tour data from 2018) into compliance with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act within two years or to show specific, concrete reasons why doing so will take longer.

As of early December 2023: 

  • Parks with completed ATMPs: Arches National Park, Badlands National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Death Valley National Park, Glacier National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area/Muir Woods National Monument/Point Reyes National Seashore/San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Olympic National Park.  
  • Parks with completed voluntary agreements in lieu of an ATMP: Governors Island National Monument/ Statue of Liberty National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Additionally, the agencies terminated the ATMP planning process for Everglades National Park in July 2022 because the National Parks Air Tour Management Act no longer required an ATMP or VA for the park (87 Fed. Reg. 43,595). 
  • Parks that have ATMPs or voluntary agreements in progress: Bandelier National Monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument,  Haleakala National Park, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and Lake Meade National Recreation Area. 

According to the National Parks Air Tour Management Act, an operator’s IOA shall terminate 180 days after the date on which an air tour management plan is established for a park.

The operator will submit to the FAA and the NPS semi-annual reports regarding the number of commercial air tours over the park or within ½ mile of their operational boundary. These reports will also include the required flight monitoring data and other information as the FAA, and the NPS may request or are detailed in the park’s ATMP or voluntary agreement.

If an ATMP authorizes commercial air tours, operators that have converted to quiet technology aircraft may request to be allowed to conduct air tours during expanded operating times or expanded operating areas. The incentives for each park will be included in its ATMP. If implementation of this incentive results in unanticipated effects on Park resources or visitor experience, further agency action may be required to ensure the protection of these resources and values.

Written comments on draft ATMPs can be submitted on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) System at https://parkplanning.nps.gov. The PEPC sites for the respective park ATMPs will indicate the timeframe for comment submission.

Agencies will consider comments received on the draft ATMP and continue consultations with other agencies and tribal governments, as necessary. A final ATMP documenting the project's outcomes (including comments received and consultations undertaken) will be developed with ultimate approval resting with the FAA and the NPS.

The NPS and the FAA are both responsible for the monitoring and oversight of an ATMP or voluntary agreement. If the NPS identifies instances of noncompliance, the NPS will report such findings to the appropriate FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). The public may also report allegations of non-compliance with an ATMP or VA to the FSDO. The FSDO will investigate and respond to all written reports consistent with applicable FAA guidance.

FAA determination of non-compliance with an ATMP or VA may result in loss of authorization to conduct commercial air tours authorized by the plan or agreement. Any violation of an operator’s operations specifications shall be treated in accordance with FAA Order 2150.3, FAA Compliance and Enforcement Program.

Air tours are only one of many ways for a person with  disabilities to experience a national park. If an air tour plan reduces or eliminates air tours, a person with disabilities would still be able to experience a national park. The National Park Service works to ensure that people with disabilities can participate in the same programs, activities, and employment opportunities available to those without disabilities in the most integrated setting possible. Alternative means of accessing facilities, programs, and services are provided when an accessible direct experience cannot be provided. 

Accessibility solutions are developed in consultation with the disability community and various partners including NPS concessioners and commercial service operators and range from adaptive hiking trails and scenic overlooks to adaptive horse/donkey riding, adaptive river rafting, and many other forms of recreation that provide disabled visitors with a wide range of options for enjoying national parks. 

The NPS has a team dedicated to breaking physical and programmatic barriers to make parks more inclusive for people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities. The team includes regional accessibility coordinators who work to make sure that National Park Service staff have the tools and training necessary to provide accessible and inclusive outdoor recreation and interpretation opportunities for park visitors and employees alike. For more information visit the Plan Your Visit page.

a map of the US with dots indicating report air tours in 2020. There is an inset map of the four corners area and Hawaii
Map showing the year 2020 reported tours over National Park Service lands.

J.A. Beeco / NPS


Air Tour Reports

Beginning in 2013, commercial air tour operators who conduct tours over national parks have been required to report their air tour activity to the FAA and NPS. The agencies use these data to implement requirements of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act (NPATMA), including the identification of parks where an air tour management plan or agreement is required.

The National Parks Air Tour Management Act requires that park units with more than 50 annual tours establish an air tour management plan or agreement. While units with 50 or fewer tours are exempt from the requirement to establish a plan or agreement, operators at those parks are required to submit air tour reports each year. Further NPS may withdraw an exemption if NPS determines that a plan or agreement is necessary to protect park resource and values, or visitor use and enjoyment.

Based on the 2019 data, 29 parks require a plan or agreement – 27 parks with more than 50 tours and 2 parks with less than 50 tours but where NPS has withdrawn the exemption (Death Valley National Park, and Mount Rainier National Park). The remaining 49 parks listed in the table qualify for the exemption based on 2019 data because the number of tours at each park has not exceeded 50.

NOTE: In 2020, there were 15,624 air tours were reported, approximately 30% of the typical average from the years 2017 through 2019, attesting to the atypical conditions during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

a sandy beach with the golden gate bridge in the background
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

NPS Photo / Kirke Wrench

National Parks Overflights Advisory Group

The NPS and FAA jointly established the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group in 2001. This group provides continuing advice and counsel with respect to commercial air tour operations over and near national parks. They work with other stakeholders, such as air tour operators and tribes, to address a range of general aviation and environmental concerns.

avalanche lilies in a mountain meadow with snowcapped Olympic mountains in the background
Olympic National Park

NPS Photo / Benjamin Komar

Additional Information & Resources

  • National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 as amended.
    The National Parks Air Tour Management Act has been amended several times by separate public laws. 49 United States Code Section 40128, Overflights of National Parks, collates the original law with subsequent amendments, and deletes language that has been repealed.

Last updated: December 14, 2023

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