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  • Commercial aviation helps drive more than 10M American jobs and 5 cents of every dollar of U.S. GDP

  • Commercial aviation drives more than $1 trillion per year in economic activity

  • In 2012, U.S. airlines moved more than 48,000 tons of cargo per day

  • In 2012, the value of a kilogram of U.S. merchandise exported by air averaged 121 times the value exported by sea

  • For every 100 airline jobs, some 360 are supported outside of the airline industry

  • Federal taxes constitute $61 – or 20% – of the price of a typical $300 domestic round-trip ticket

  • In 2011, U.S. airlines carried 16 percent more passengers and cargo using 10 percent less fuel than in 2000

  • Domestically, airlines drive 5% of economic activity but account for 2% of man-made GHG emissions

  • From 2000-2011, airlines reduced GHG emissions by 11% while transporting 16% more passengers and cargo

  • From 1975-2011, U.S. airlines and their partners reduced significant noise exposure by 99%

  • Commercial air travel is the safest form of intercity transportation in the United States

  • In the most recent decade, scheduled air service on U.S. airlines was seven times safer than in the 1970s

  • From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines improved the on-time arrival rate from 72.6% to 81.9%

  • From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines reduced the flight cancellation rate sharply from 3.30% to 1.29%

  • Airfares are a bargain: From 2000-2012, U.S. CPI rose 33% while average domestic fare rose just 13%

  • Adjusted for inflation, the average round-trip domestic airfare fell 15% from 2000

  • 2007 domestic flight delays cost the United States approximately $31 billion

  • In 2012, the value of U.S. merchandise exported by air reached an all-time high of $427B

  • In 2012, U.S. exports of air-travel services reached an all-time high of $39.5B, driving a $5.1B trade surplus

  • In 2012, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines spent more than $50B on fuel, averaging 36% of operating expenses

  • In 2012, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of mishandled baggage ever recorded

  • FAA projects U.S. air travel demand to top 1 billion passengers in 2027

  • In 2012, US airlines flew 83.4 million passengers in scheduled international service - a record high

  • In 2012, the total value of merchandise exported from or imported to the United States by air exceeded $927 billion

  • In 2012, 7.15 teragrams of merchandise was exported from or imported to the United States by air

A4A News Releases

News section: belly view of a plane flying overhead

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A4A regularly comments on behalf of its members when an issue or event arises that affects the entire U.S. airline industry. A4A responds to media inquiries on a variety of issues, including safety, security, maintenance, economics, operations, public affairs, legal and regulatory matters and legislative issues. This section includes an archive of A4A news releases and statements beginning in 2003.



A4A Applauds Passage of Amendment Prohibiting Use of Taxpayer Dollars for CBP Preclearance Facility in Abu Dhabi (6/6/2013)
A4A applauded passage of an amendment offered by Reps. Meehan, Miller and DeFazio prohibiting DHS from using taxpayer dollars to conduct CBP preclearance operations at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
A4A Supports Meehan Amendment Requiring Competitive Impact Review of CBP Preclearance Facility Agreements (5/15/2013)
A4A applauds Meehan Amendment Requiring Competitive Impact Review of CBP Preclearance Facility Agreements.
A4A Commends Bipartisan Effort for Answers on Abu Dhabi Agreement (5/10/2013)
A4A commends a group of bipartisan senators for demanding answers on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to establish a preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Airlines for America Commends Senate for Passing Measure to End Air Traffic Controller Furloughs (4/25/2013)
A4A commended leadership in the U.S. Senate for passing a bill to halt air traffic controller furloughs that this week alone have delayed some 4,000 flights, impacting hundreds of thousands of customers.
A4A Launches “Draw the Line Here” Campaign Calling on DHS to Drop Plan for Customs Preclearance Facility in Abu Dhabi (4/12/2013)
A4A today launched a campaign calling on the Department of Homeland Security to drop its plan to provide preclearance U.S. national security services at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
A4A Opposes Unprecedented Tax Hike on Airline Passengers in White House Budget Proposal (4/11/2013)
A4A announced its strong opposition to the FY2014 White House budget proposal, which seeks to offset the federal deficit by imposing billions of dollars in new and higher aviation taxes and fees on the backs of airlines and their customers.
A4A Calls on DHS to Drop Plan for Customs Preclearance Facility in Abu Dhabi (4/10/2013)
A4A called for the Department of Homeland Security to scrap plans to establish a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
A4A Says Senate-Passed Budget Hikes TSA Passenger Tax, Adds Insult to Injury for Airlines and Customers (3/23/2013)
A4A expressed strong opposition to a provision within the Senate-passed budget resolution, which immediately doubles, and eventually triples the TSA passenger security tax.
A4A Opposes TSA Tax Hike, Calling it a Lose-Lose for Passengers, Airlines and the Economy (3/20/2013)
A4A supported calls for efficiency improvements within the TSA, while strongly urging House Republicans not to punish passengers, shippers and airlines by doubling the TSA passenger security tax in their budget proposal.
Even With the Luck of the Irish, Airline Customers Continue to Pay a Lot of Green (3/15/2013)
A4A released an infographic highlighting the excessive tax burden imposed on its customers, including those travelers taking to the skies this weekend to attend St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across the nation.
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A4A is a leading source for key aviation information.

What the Experts Say:
"A4A supports NextGen-related policies and procedures that will deliver immediate benefits to passengers and shippers from aircraft equipage investments that carriers have already made.”


Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory policy, A4A

A4A press release

08/17/2012
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T: 202.626.4000 | E: a4a@airlines.org

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