NFL, NASCAR and other leagues opposing reduction of no-fly zone around sports venues

There is currently consideration within the government of softening some safety standards around aircraft around stadiums and no-fly zones. This has led to concern for sports leagues about potential issues that could happen to fans.

The concern from leagues is part of the legacy of 9/11. Even more than two decades later, it’s still a major concern that planes could once again be weaponized as the NFL’s senior vice president of security Cathy Lanier explained.

“I’m very worried,” Lanier said. “Aircraft can be used as a weapon and that is one of the top concerns that we’ve had for 20 years.”

As of now, sporting events get special no-fly zones for events of 3,000 feet above and three nautical miles from the center point of the stadium. That no-fly zone lasts from one hour before the event ends until one minute after it finishes. That rule applies for stadiums and raceways that hold at least 30,000 people.

The FAA Reauthorization Act was passed this summer. It allows the FAA to grant a waiver to within three-fourths of a mile.

Joe Biden’s staff has expressed concerns about this relaxation, arguing it is important for security.

“The bill could introduce unnecessary risks to those attending major sporting events if the effectiveness of safety and security buffers currently provided by temporary flight restrictions were to be decreased,” the White House said.

However, not everyone agrees with that stance. U.S. Representative Sam Graves (R-Missouri) feels that they’re not as important as others are arguing.

It’s simply wrong to suggest that existing flight restrictions have any connection to preventing terrorism,” Graves said. “It’s also wrong that a construction crew wanting to use a drone to inspect a roof three miles away — just to give an example — has to wait until a ballgame is over to do their job, or else they’re breaking federal law.”

Leagues like the NFL, NASCAR, MLB, and others remain concerned about a possible rule change to no-fly zones, though. Along with terrorism, the NFL is also concerned about accidents more generally speaking.

“A lot of individuals and others will want to fly over large crowds to advertise,” Lanier said. “And in that congested airspace, an accident is very much a concern.”

There are numerous things that could happen during an NFL game because of more open air space that are worth being concerned about. MLB knows this all too well. It was in the 1986 World Series when a New York Mets fan parachuted onto the field, creating a possibly dangerous situation.

So, it’s hard to predict what could happen at a sporting event if air space was more open.