FAA Cites National Security to Withhold UAP Communications Despite Unclassified Report

Page from 2021 UAP Report issued by ODNI, specifically mentioning the FAA as having contributed to the report

In June 2021, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed by The Black Vault with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under case number 2021-006688. The request, filed on June 27, 2021, sought all communications between the FAA and the UAP Task Force, as well as communications between the FAA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which contributed to the creation of the UAP report released by the ODNI in 2021. Specifically, the FOIA request aimed to uncover any input the FAA provided to the UAP Task Force, including emails, memos, letters, reports, photographs, videos, charts, graphs, PowerPoint presentations, and other related documents.

The FAA took over three years to respond, issuing a formal denial on September 23, 2024. The denial cited Exemption 1 of the FOIA, which pertains to classified national security records, as the reason for withholding all requested documents. According to the FAA’s response:

The FOIA response letter from the FAA details their denial

The FAA’s response raises significant questions, given that the UAP report itself was released as an unclassified document to the public by the ODNI. Although there was a classified version of the report given to Congress, the FAA’s claim that all communications, input, and related documents are classified seems contradictory to the 2021 report’s public version which outlined the FAA’s role in UAP research. If the FAA’s contributions were entirely classified, this discrepancy is not only puzzling but also suggests that the FAA’s role in the UAP Task Force may involve sensitive or high-level information that was not disclosed in the unclassified version of the report. The involvement of the FAA’s Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH) in UAP research or reporting is also now evident, an aspect that has not been widely recognized until now.

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The ASH is responsible for overseeing and managing the security and safety aspects of aviation within the United States, particularly focusing on hazardous materials and national security concerns. This office plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the aviation system by enforcing regulations related to the transport of dangerous goods, implementing security measures, and responding to incidents that could pose threats to aviation safety. ASH also coordinates with other federal agencies on issues of national security, making it an integral part of the FAA’s broader mission to protect the nation’s airspace.

The denial’s citation of national security concerns and classified status under Executive Order 13526 reveals that the FAA’s contributions included classified information deemed too sensitive for public disclosure. This revelation may underscore the FAA’s deeper involvement in the UAP phenomenon, aligning the agency’s role closer to those of other national security bodies, which appears to differ from the publicly stated input to the UAP effort at the time.

According to the 2021 unclassified version of the UAP report:

The FAA’s role was discussed in the 2021 UAP Report. This was the only mention of that agency and their contributions.

The Black Vault has filed an appeal challenging the FAA’s refusal to release the requested documents. Additionally, a new FOIA request has been submitted, specifically targeting information from the FAA’s Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH) office to further explore their role in UAP-related matters.

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