4/20/23 

AIM 

Section 6.  National Security and Interception Procedures 

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1.  National Security 

National security in the control of air traffic is governed by 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 99, 

Security Control of Air Traffic

. 

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2.  National Security Requirements 

a. 

Pursuant to 14 CFR 99.7, 

Special Security Instructions

, each person operating an aircraft in an Air Defense 

Identification Zone (ADIZ) or Defense Area must, in addition to the applicable rules of Part 99, comply with 

special security instructions issued by the FAA Administrator in the interest of national security, pursuant to 

agreement between the FAA and the Department of Defense (DoD), or between the FAA and a U.S. Federal 

security or intelligence agency. 

b. 

In addition to the requirements prescribed in this section, national security requirements for aircraft 

operations to or from, within, or transiting U.S. territorial airspace are in effect pursuant to 14 CFR 99.7; 49 

United States Code (USC) 40103, 

Sovereignty and Use of Airspace

; and 49 USC 41703, 

Navigation of Foreign 

Civil Aircraft

. Aircraft operations to or from, within, or transiting U.S. territorial airspace must also comply with 

all other applicable regulations published in 14 CFR. 

c. 

Due to increased security measures in place at many areas and in accordance with 14 CFR 91.103, 

Preflight 

Action

, prior to departure, pilots must become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. 

Pilots are responsible to comply with 14 CFR 91.137 (

Temporary flight restrictions in the vicinity of 

disaster/hazard areas

), 91.138 (

Temporary flight restrictions in national disaster areas in the State of Hawaii

), 

91.141 (

Flight restrictions in the proximity of the Presidential and other parties

), and 91.143 (

Flight limitation 

in the proximity of space flight operations

) when conducting flight in an area where a temporary flight restrictions 

area is in effect, and should check appropriate NOTAMs during flight planning. In addition, NOTAMs may be 

issued for National Security Areas (NSA) that temporarily prohibit flight operations under the provisions of 14 

CFR 99.7. 

REFERENCE

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AIM, Para 3

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8, National Security Areas. 

AIM, Para 3

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3, Temporary Flight Restrictions. 

d. 

Noncompliance with the national security requirements for aircraft operations contained in this section 

may result in denial of flight entry into U.S. territorial airspace or ground stop of the flight at a U.S. airport. 

e. 

Pilots of aircraft that do not adhere to the procedures in the national security requirements for aircraft 

operations contained in this section may be intercepted, and/or detained and interviewed by federal, state, or local 

law enforcement or other government personnel. 

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3.  Definitions 

a. 

Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) 

means an area of airspace over land or water, in which the ready 

identification, location, and control of all aircraft (except Department of Defense and law enforcement aircraft) 

is required in the interest of national security. 

b. 

Defense Area

 means any airspace of the contiguous U.S. that is not an ADIZ in which the control of aircraft 

is required for reasons of national security. 

c. 

U.S. territorial airspace, 

for the purposes of this section, means the airspace over the U.S., its territories, 

and possessions, and the airspace over the territorial sea of the U.S., which extends 12 nautical miles from the 

baselines of the U.S., determined in accordance with international law. 

d. 

To  U.S. territorial airspace

 means any flight that enters U.S. territorial airspace after departure from a 

location outside of the U.S., its territories or possessions, for landing at a destination in the U.S., its territories 

or possessions. 

National Security and Interception Procedures 

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