The air tour industry is trying to mount opposition to plans to ban or cut back air tours over four national park units, including Haleakalā (above)/NPS file

National Park Service proposals to reduce, and even ban, air tours over four national parks are being fought by the Helicopter Association International, which has asked its members and supporters to file comments against the proposals.

"Besides closing off opportunities for thousands of visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the parks, the NPS aims to cut back air-tour flights to such a degree that some tour operations will close," the association, which represents more than 1,100 companies and over 16,000 industry professionals in more than 65 countries, said Wednesday in a release.

Air tour bans would take effect at Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial if the proposals, which were released last month, are finalized. Haleakalā and Hawai'i Volcanoes national parks in Hawai'i have called for reduced numbers of the flights. Public comment on the proposals runs through June 20.

“It is time to use our collective voice, even if you do not think you are affected by these proposals,” said James Viola, HAI president and CEO. “The Park Service will continue to produce these [air tour management plans] for other lands administered by them, so it is important that our industry speaks up now. I suggest that you also forward this message to your friends and colleagues so that the Park Service hears us loud and clear.”

According to the association, providing air tours "is an important workforce development pipeline for the vertical aviation industry. Reducing or eliminating these flights will create significant complications for an industry that is already facing a shortage of skilled personnel. Moreover, tourism is a major economic driver in both Hawaii and South Dakota."

“The helicopter tour businesses buy fuel and supplies from other local businesses," said Viola. "Their employees have mortgages, buy groceries, and pay taxes. While some localities might be able to absorb the loss of an entire tourism sector, these ATMPs will probably have a significant economic impact on smaller communities that are dependent on tourism."

It's been more than two decades since the National Park Service and Federal Aviation Administration were ordered by Congress to craft air tour plans, and the process has been slow, criticized, and targeted by lawsuits.

As parks across the National Park System released their draft plans, they revealed that there seemed to be no central goal for parks to follow. While Glacier National Park's plan calls for all commercial air tours to be phased out by the end of 2029 because "[T]he preservation of natural sounds, protection of natural and cultural resources, wilderness character, and preserving visitor experience by addressing noise issues are priority NPS management objectives for the Park," at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah officials never considered a ban as they worked on a draft air tour management plan. 

Staff at Bryce Canyon, and many other parks, claimed there were no significant impacts from the air tours to require more extensive environmental studies as NEPA requires, and so applied "categorical exclusions" that allowed them to avoid those studies.