diff --git a/src/create_daily_faa_release.py b/src/create_daily_faa_release.py
index c0bd6d0..92df159 100644
--- a/src/create_daily_faa_release.py
+++ b/src/create_daily_faa_release.py
@@ -27,7 +27,14 @@ OUT_ROOT.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 from derive_from_faa_master_txt import convert_faa_master_txt_to_df, concat_faa_historical_df
 from get_latest_release import get_latest_aircraft_faa_csv_df
 df_new = convert_faa_master_txt_to_df(zip_path, date_str)
-df_base, start_date_str = get_latest_aircraft_faa_csv_df()
-df_base = concat_faa_historical_df(df_base, df_new)
-assert df_base['download_date'].is_monotonic_increasing, "download_date is not monotonic increasing"
+
+try:
+    df_base, start_date_str = get_latest_aircraft_faa_csv_df()
+    df_base = concat_faa_historical_df(df_base, df_new)
+    assert df_base['download_date'].is_monotonic_increasing, "download_date is not monotonic increasing"
+except Exception as e:
+    print(f"No existing FAA release found, using only new data: {e}")
+    df_base = df_new
+    start_date_str = date_str
+
 df_base.to_csv(OUT_ROOT / f"openairframes_faa_{start_date_str}_{date_str}.csv", index=False)
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