ADS-B Privacy

The FAA acknowledges the desire of some operators to limit the availability of real-time ADS-B position and identification information for a specific aircraft.

To address privacy concerns, the FAA offers the Privacy International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Address (PIA) program to improve the privacy of the following eligible aircraft:

U.S registered
1090 MHz ADS-B equipped
Using a third-party call sign
Flying in U.S. managed flight information regions

The PIA program enables interested aircraft owners to request an alternate, temporary ICAO aircraft address, which will not be assigned to the owner in the Civil Aircraft Registry (CAR).

PIA Program Steps

Step 1

Obtain Initial Public ADS-B Performance Report (PAPR)

Obtain a PAPR with your permanently assigned ICAO aircraft address from a flight in ADS-B airspace within the past 180 days.

Step 2

Request PIA

Submit the required information via the PIA request site. If your request is approved, you will receive a PIA assignment via email within 10 business days.

Step 3

Provide Proof of Third-Party Call Sign

Email confirmation of your third-party flight ID to adsbprivacyicao@faa.gov. This can be an email or scanned copy of your documentation from your third-party flight ID provider.

Step 4

Install New PIA

Program the new PIA into your transmitter and proceed to Step 5. Please note: This is a temporary assignment, and you must complete the remaining steps in order to continue using the PIA.

Step 5

Verify PIA Installation

Within 30 days of receiving your PIA, obtain a PAPR from a flight in ADS-B airspace with your PIA installed and proceed to the PIA Verification page to validate your installation. You will receive a response confirming you can continue using your PIA.

For more detailed instructions for each step, please view the PIA User Guide (PDF).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the PIA program needed?

ADS-B Out operates by transmitting the aircraft's unique ICAO aircraft address, making identification by any individual with an ADS-B receiver possible. Real-time tracking of the geographic location of a specific aircraft is possible, generating privacy concerns for the aircraft operator community. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and members of the General Aviation (GA) community have cited the lack of privacy as a barrier to ADS-B Out equipage.

In order to mitigate these concerns, the FAA initiated the PIA program to improve the privacy of aircraft operators in today's ADS-B environment by limiting the extent to which the aircraft can be quickly and easily identified by non-U.S. government entities, while ensuring there is no adverse effect on Air Traffic Control (ATC) services.

Why are operators required to use a third-party call sign when using a PIA?

A third-party call sign enables the operator to maintain privacy in communication with ATC while allowing the FAA, as necessary, to obtain the identification of the aircraft and its operator for response to security related request from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, or local law enforcement. Third-party call signs are available from a "Third Party Call Sign Provider", a commercial service which has a security agreement with the FAA.

The aircraft operator is responsible for inputting the PIA and designated third-party call sign in avionics exactly as filed in the ICAO flight plan. The aircraft operator will not be permitted to change the PIA or the third-party call sign in-flight.

How does the PIA application process work?

In order to receive a PIA assignment, the requester is required to submit the following information:

Acknowledgement of the FAA notification of collection and management of personally identifiable information (PII) for the management of PIA assignment and their use in the National Airspace System (NAS)
Acknowledgement of the PIA Articles of Use in the NAS
Valid aircraft registration (permanent ICAO aircraft address) for the aircraft that will be assigned the PIA
Proof of authorization to use a third-party call sign with the identity of the provider
Aircraft owner's contact information (phone number, e-mail address, business or home address)
Aircraft owner's individual/company/organization information
Requester's contact information (phone number, e-mail address, business or home address)
Validation that the aircraft's ADS-B emitter performance is qualified for ADS-B operations (operator will self-validate on the website, but the system will check to see that a PAPR report was requested within the past 180 days)

The FAA verifies the information provided by the requester prior to assigning the PIA and ensures that there are no open FAA enforcement actions associated with the aircraft, which would preclude the aircraft's use of this mechanism for improved privacy until the current action is resolved.

Once the necessary information has been submitted, the requester should expect to receive a PIA assignment via email within 10 business days.

The requester then has 30 calendar days to program his/her ADS-B transponder to the assigned PIA, fly in ADS-B coverage airspace, and complete the verification process via the website.

Upon FAA acknowledgement that the verification process is complete and validation that the reprogrammed ADS-B transponder is emitting the correct PIA, the requester will receive a final confirmation via email.

If the requester does not submit a PAPR within 30 calendar days of the PIA assignment, the assigned PIA will be rescinded, and the requester will need to start the application process again.

For the purposes of this program, a flight in any ADS-B airspace will suffice for the sake of a PIA test flight. Moreover, the test does not need to be a dedicated flight. Aircraft owners may elect to complete the test as part of any routine flight following the installation of a PIA. If you cannot perform a flight test within 30 calendar days of receiving your PIA assignment, please email the helpdesk at adsbprivacyicao@faa.gov. The FAA may grant an extension if no other flights by that aircraft have occurred.

Where can I fly using a PIA?

The PIA program is intended for flights that start and terminate within the sovereign and territorial airspace of the United States (i.e., the airspace above the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and U.S. territorial waters). Additionally, the PIA program may be used in U.S. managed flight information regions (i.e., offshore and oceanic airspace) beyond 12 NM offshore.

A few examples are:

A flight from NYC to LA is allowed.
A flight from Miami to Houston, over the Gulf of Mexico, is allowed.
A flight from LA to Hawaii is allowed.
A flight from Boston to Miami, on routes offshore more than 12 NM, is allowed.
A flight from NYC to London is not allowed.

For specific questions on where PIA can be used, please contact adsbprivacyicao@faa.gov.

How often will I be able to request a new PIA?

An aircraft operator can request a new PIA assignment any time following a 20-day period from a previous PIA assignment.

An operator may continue to use their PIA assignment as long as desired or, request a renewed PIA on a periodic basis.

Once I receive a PIA, what are the rules for its use?

To maintain the safety and integrity of air traffic operations, the FAA monitors PIA use in the NAS. The following list includes improper uses of PIAs:

Use of PIAs assigned to another aircraft
Use of un-assigned PIAs
PIAs used during operations outside of U.S. managed flight information regions
PIAs changed during flight
PIAs used with a non-performing ADS-B emitter
PIA used with a UAT or dual 1090/UAT emitter

PIAs used by an aircraft other than the aircraft to which the address is assigned results in a compliance violation of CFR § 91.227 and notification to the FAA. The FAA has the authority to revoke the PIA assignment. Upon reassignment, an aircraft is required to fly with its registered ICAO aircraft address, and failure to do so will result in regulatory enforcement action by the FAA, in addition to restriction on the assignment of additional privacy assignments to that aircraft until the enforcement action is closed. Upon detection, the aircraft owner/operator will be issued a warning that requires immediate action to remedy the issue before the next operation involving the assigned PIA. Failure to comply may result in the loss of the PIA assignment.

Please note: An aircraft operator may use the ICAO aircraft address originally assigned and recorded in the CAR at any time for operations, including any time while having an active PIA assignment. Use of the assigned ICAO aircraft address recorded in the CAR is required for all flights leaving U.S. sovereign airspace, and it may be used for any other flights at any time, as desired by the aircraft operator. The FAA requires that the user submits documented validation that an ICAO aircraft address has been correctly installed into the aircraft's ADS-B avionics after each change.

When aircraft maintenance is performed, how do you verify that the ADS-B avionics data is valid?

The PIA requestor must obtain a Public ADS-B Performance Report (PAPR) to ensure that the transponder does not exhibit any non-performing emitter (NPE) issues and is transmitting the correct ICAO aircraft address.

Is there a required documentation that will need to be in the aircraft to show a different ICAO aircraft address?

No, it is not necessary to have physical documentation.

Will the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) requirement remain unchanged?

Yes, it will remain unchanged.

When using PIA, will the aircraft still broadcast ADS-B out information that may be received with "off the shelf" ADS-B receivers?

Yes, ADS-B data may be received by off-the-shelf receivers. However, the PIA program was implemented to enable interested aircraft owners to request an alternate, temporary ICAO aircraft address, which will not be assigned to the owner in the CAR.

Can PIAs be used with FAA Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) services?

Yes, PIA services can be used with CPDLC services. To receive CPDLC services while utilizing PIA, the pilot or designated flight plan filling service must file the PIA ICAO 24-bit address and N-number in the ICAO Flight plan. Click here for full instructions. For additional information, please contact the PIA help desk at adsbprivacyicao@faa.gov.

Can my PIA information be requested via FOIA?

All aircraft information associated with a PIA is exempt from FOIA requests.

How is the Privacy ICAO aircraft address (PIA) program different from the Limited Aircraft Data Displayed [LADD] (formerly known as the Blocked Aircraft Registration Request [BARR] program)?

The LADD program does not impact the ADS-B broadcast data. The LADD program is designed to block aircraft data provided by the FAA data feed. However, the PIA program is intended to limit the extent to which an aircraft can be quickly and easily identified by inexpensive, commercially available receivers.

Can the PIA be changed during a flight?

No, the PIA cannot be changed or reprogrammed during a flight.

Is the PIA program mandatory?

No, participation in the program is optional.

Will the FAA issue single or multiple PIAs at a time to an aircraft?

Currently, the FAA will issue only one PIA at a time to an aircraft.

Do PIAs expire?

PIAs are valid for as long as desired, unless cancelled by the FAA.

Will PIA codes be re-issued or "recycled" over time from one aircraft to another?

PIAs may be re-issued to other aircraft over time.

What is the timeline for implementation of this concept?

The PIA service is currently operated, monitored and maintained by the FAA (Phase 1).

The FAA is exploring agreement and implementation actions for a long-term solution (Phase 2) via a third-party service provider to operate, monitor and maintain this program.

A link to the relevant PIA application site will be available from this web page during both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Are there any costs involved or will PIA be treated similarly to the BARR/LADD program?

For the first phase of this program, there is no cost to the requestor. Details of a second phase of the program are still being explored.

Are dual-out (both UAT and 1090ES) aircraft eligible to participate in this program?

At this time, dual-out equipped aircraft are not eligible to participate in the PIA program.

What do I have to do to program my PIA?

PIA participants should follow the guidance provided by their ADS-B equipment manufacturer when making changes to their ICAO aircraft address.

How do I obtain a third-party call sign?

For the purposes of this program, a third-party call sign can be obtained from FlightPlan, ForeFlight, FlightAware, or ARINCDirect. Please see the links below for more information:

Questions? Comments? Email us at adsbprivacyicao@faa.gov.