The FAA and its partners in the North Atlantic Systems Planning Group endorsed a plan to temporarily terminate the NAT Data Link Mandate due to decreased operations as a result of the global COVID-19 crisis. The group recently voted to reinstate the NAT Data Link Mandate.
“The temporary suspension of the mandate facilitated the transportation of essential cargo across the Atlantic,” said Brian Koester, CAM, NBAA director of flight operations and regulations. “Ideally, the suspension would remain in effect until the threshold of 50% of traffic levels from 2019 was met, but NBAA appreciates the FAA and North Atlantic Systems Planning Group’s efforts to ease mandates during the pandemic.”