NFPA Standards Council Denies TIA 1558 Appeal

NATA’s appeal to overturn the ballot results of TIA 1558 was denied by the NFPA Standards Council this week, despite the support of hundreds of stakeholders from every sector across the industry. TIA 1558 sought to remove the requirement for additional automatic over-fill protection devices at airport loading racks and the subsequent modifications required of mobile refuelers.

NATA remains firm in our position that these additional automatic overfill protection requirements are unnecessary, costly and will unfairly burden many small and midsize aviation businesses. Additionally, the small number of proponents of these new requirements have failed to produce data supporting the need for these new systems. To that end, NATA has filed a Notice of Intent to Petition the NFPA Board of Directors as a final effort to seek relief from these onerous requirements.

This move does not come lightly, given the urgent nature and the pending June 2 deadline for compliance under the 2017 and proposed 2022 revisions of the NFPA 407- Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing. However, we feel it is necessary to continue our fight in support of our members and on behalf of the entire industry.

In the interim, we encourage FBOs and other fuel providers affected by the upcoming deadline to work with their Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to request a modification to the retroactive component of the requirements. This would preclude existing equipment from the June 2nd deadline for compliance. NATA has prepared a form letter and letter of support for use by our members when seeking a modification from their AHJ.

We will continue to pursue this issue and keep you informed as new information becomes available. As always, thank you for your support of NATA as the voice of aviation business.