One of the ways the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reducing the cost of its aeronautical charting program is to discontinue the agency’s direct-to-the public subscription services for paper aeronautical charts and products as well their direct-to-the public paper individual product sales. This is a two-phased process; the first which took effect on July 1, 2013. Current subscriptions will be filled through their applicable expiration date.
Secondly, targeted for October 1, 2013, the discontinuation of all other direct-to-the public individual sales of paper aeronautical charts and related paper products will take place. The FAA is taking this action to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and enhance and modernize the service provided to their customers and the aviation community.
According to Abigail “Abby” Smith, Director, Aeronautical Navigation Products, taking these actions will reduce the FAA’s costs for postage, handling and personnel and help decrease the gap in their recoverable costs for providing these safety products to the public.
Smith said they will continue to provide paper aeronautical charts and related paper products to their authorized aeronautical chart sales agents. Subscription services and individual purchases of paper charts and related paper products will be available to the public through this worldwide network of authorized agents. These agents offer terrific customer service, quick delivery and according to Smith, proven logistics for providing a high level of support to our aviation community.
A list of these agents is available at: aeronav.faa.gov.
