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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

  • U.S. airlines move 50,000 tons of cargo per day

  • In 2011, the average value of a kilogram of U.S. merchandise exported by air was 117 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

  • From 2000-2010, U.S. airlines carried 15% more traffic while using 2.1 billion fewer gallons of fuel

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

  • From 2000-2010, airlines reduced GHG emissions by 10% while transporting 15% more passengers and cargo

  • From 1975-2010, the number of U.S. residents exposed to significant noise levels fell 95%

  • 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 2000-2010, U.S. airlines improved the on-time arrival rate from 72.6% to 79.8%

  • From 2000-2010, U.S. airlines halved the flight cancellation rate from 3.30% to 1.76%

  • Airfares are a bargain: From 2000-2010, U.S. CPI rose 27% while average domestic fare (excl. taxes) rose just 1%

  • Adjusted for inflation, the average round-trip domestic fare in 2010 fell 21% (from $398 to $316) compared to 2000

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

  • In 2011, the value of U.S. merchandise exported by air reached an all-time high of $424B

  • In 2011, U.S. exports of air-travel services reached an all-time high of $36.7B, driving the largest trade surplus in this category since 1992

  • In 2011, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines spent $50.5B on fuel, up $11.7B ($32M/day) from 2010

  • In 2011, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of mishandled baggage ever recorded

  • In 2011, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of involuntary denied boardings ever recorded

  • In 4Q 2011, U.S. airlines posted the second-lowest quarterly on-time arrival rate ever recorded

  • FAA projects U.S. air travel demand to top 1 billion passengers in 2024

  • In 2011, US airlines flew 80 million passengers in scheduled international service- a record high

  • In 2011, US airlines flew at 241.2 billion revenue passenger miles in scheduled international service- a record high

  • In 2011, US airlines operated 299.9 billion available seat miles in scheduled international service- a record high

Public Policy Agency Filings

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PubZone1
A4A frequently participates in rulemaking and other regulatory proceedings affecting the airline industry. A4A public filings to regulatory agencies are included here.

A4A Calls on FAA to Improve Pilot-Qualification Proposed Rule (5/1/2012)
A4A urged the FAA to significantly revise its proposed requirements for pilot certification and provide a system that builds on the industry’s strong safety record, is recommended by safety experts and that recognizes the quality of a pilot’s training.
A4A Comments on Pilot Qualification NPRM (5/1/2012)
A4A comments are in response to the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued on Feb. 29, 2012, which would require that first officers hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and a minimum of 1,500 hours flight time to obtain the certificate.
A4A Comments about the Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy (3/6/2012)
A4A submitted comments responding to the Department of Commerce’s initiative to facilitate travel to the United States. Our comments emphasized the need to improve the...
A4A comments on OFCCP Proposed Employment Regulations (3/1/2012)
A4A filed comments expressing serious concerns with the OFCCP’s proposed regulations that would require federal contractors to implement a goal of...
SAMHSA Request for Information on Oral Fluid Specimens for Drug Testing (8/9/2011)
ATA comments support SAMHSA’s consideration of oral fluid specimens as alternative method of drug testing employees.
FDA Food Labeling NPRM (6/29/2011)
ATA comments that FDA adopt the regulations as proposed with a few minor clarifications because they reflect the intent of recent statutory changes to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by applying limited food labeling requirements to...
ATA Comments on the United Kingdom’s Air Passenger Duty Proposal (6/17/2011)
ATA comments to the United Kingdom’s air passenger duty proposal.
CFTC Proposed Rule Commodity Options and Agricultural Swaps (4/4/2011)
ATA urges the Commission to confirm that variable delivery cash contracts for jet fuel are excluded from the definition of “swap” if it supersedes existing Rule 32.4.
ATA Supports Position Limits for Futures Markets (3/29/2011)
ATA comments to the CFTC support the immediate adoption of proposed spot-month position limits but call for stronger, aggregate limits for non-spot month trading to restore the price discovery functioning of the energy futures markets.
ATA Comments on DOT Regulatory Review Process (3/8/2011)
ATA submitted preliminary comments to DOT on developing a regulatory review plan. ATA urged DOT, among other things, to establish a transparent process for reviewing existing rules that might be outmoded, ineffective, inefficient or excessively...
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PubZone2
A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.

What the Experts Say:
“Hard-hour minimum requirements are not a substitute for the quality of a pilot’s training and experience… A4A carriers have an exemplary safety record and engage in continuous improvements in safety and training and the A4A supports raising pilot qualification requirements, but not to the extent of the NPRM which we believe will reduce the quality of the pilot force rather than enhance it."

A4A ,

​A4A press release

05/01/2012
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