Air tour management plans have been completed for Arches and Canyonlands national parks, as well as Natural Bridges National Monument/Canyonlands photo by NPS

Air tour management plans for Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Natural Bridges National Monument in southeastern Utah have been completed by the National Park Service and Federal Aviation Administration.

“The purpose of air tour management plans is to ensure that park resource values, including natural sounds, wildlife, and other natural and cultural resources, are protected in in Arches, Canyonlands, and Natural Bridges,” Patricia Trap, Southeast Utah Group superintendent, said in a release. “The plans establish a compromise between protecting park landscapes while ensuring opportunities for continued air tours over the parks.”   

Commercial air tours have occurred over Arches, Canyonlands, and Natural Bridges for many years without defined operating parameters, according to the Park Service. The air tour management plans are expected to protect national park resources and values by providing management oversight and continued education. The plans do not, however, specify any decibel limit on ground-level noise from the overflights nor require that aircraft employ "quiet technology" to reduce engine noise. The Traveler has reached out to park staff to see how those issues would be addressed under the plan.   

Many of the air tour plans developed this year have been criticized for bypassing National Environmental Policy Act requirements for environmental studies and for simply grandfathering in existing numbers of allowed flights.

The Arches plan authorizes up to 309 air tours per year on four defined routes conducted over the park and up to a half-mile outside the park’s boundary. There were on average 309 air tours per year reported over Arches National Park from 2017–2019.   

The Canyonlands plan authorizes up to 367 air tours per year on 13 defined routes conducted over the park and up to half-mile outside the park’s boundary. There were on average 367 air tours per year reported over Canyonlands National Park from 2017–2019.     

The Natural Bridges plan authorizes up to 73 air tours per year on five defined routes conducted over the park and up to half-mile outside the park’s boundary. There were on average 73 air tours per year reported over Natural Bridges National Monument from 2017–2019.