Aviation securityAssociated Aircraft Group awarded authorization for Reagan National Airport operations

Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), which calls itself the East Coast’s largest executive Sikorsky S-76 helicopter services provider, has been granted access into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the DCA Access Security Program (DASSP).

With the access into DCA, AAG customers now will be allowed to travel from anywhere along the East Coast directly to the nation’s capital.

AAG is a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

To receive DCA Access authorization, FBO facilities and air charter operators must meet strict security requirements and procedures outlined by the TSA. As a DASSP-approved operator, AAG is required to submit to advanced security procedures and background checks for all crewmembers.

Passengers and baggage undergo TSA security screening at any Gateway airport. An approved law enforcement officer is required to be on board during flights into and out of DCA.

“Having access into Reagan Washington National Airport will allow our customers to fly conveniently to the nation’s capital from a Gateway location” said AAG president Scott Ashton.

“With the upcoming national elections, this will become an important benefit for our clients. By utilizing a helicopter, clients can be picked up at a convenient helipad, stop at a gateway for screening, and continue on directly to DCA without making the drive from outlying airports. More importantly, departing DCA allows clients to conveniently travel directly back to their home heliport.”

AAG notes that it has more than twenty years experience providing helicopter and fixed wing charter flights, fractional ownership programs, and helicopter maintenance services from its Teterboro, New York, and Philadelphia locations.