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
U.S. exports by air are 130 times the value of exports transported 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
As of early 2011, FAA projecting 1 billion passengers to be enplaned in FY 2021
From 2000-2010, U.S. airlines carried 15% more traffic while using 2.1 billion fewer gallons of fuel
NextGen could reduce annual fuel consumption by 1.6 billion gallons
Domestically, airlines drive 5% of economic activity but account for 2% of man-made GHG emissions
From 2000-2010, reduced greenhouse gas 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 7 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 roundtrip domestic fare in 2010 fell 21% (from $398 to $316) compared to 2000
2007 domestic flight delays cost the United States approximately $31 billion

A4A Testimony

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As the trade association for America's leading cargo and passenger airlines, A4A is called on frequently by Congress to testify. A4A testifies before Congressional committees on behalf of the industry A4A oral and written testimonies on behalf of its members can be found in this section (The oral delivery may have varied slightly from the written text and the content of these statements was current at the time that they were prepared. However, information in them may have changed with the passage of time). Upcoming hearings are also included.

A4A Testimony by Tom Hendricks, SVP for Safety, Security and Operations Before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (2/8/2012)
A4A believes GPS is critical to the continued safety and efficiency of the national airspace system and urged policymakers to ensure that system is protected from disruption.

ATA Testimony by SVP, Safety, Security and Operations Tom Hendricks before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (10/5/2011)
ATA members believe that Congress and the Administration should be guided by a National Airline Policy that will treat America’s airlines like the global businesses they are and enable them to operate as such.

ATA Testimony by SVP Sharon Pinkerton before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee on Aviation Fuels (7/28/2011)
Sharon Pinkerton, Senior Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Policy testifies before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee on the importance of alternative fuels for the aviation industry and applauds the Subcommittee for their leadership.

Nancy Young, ATA's VP of Environment Affairs, Testifies before Congress on the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (7/27/2011)
Nancy N. Young, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, testifies before the House Aviation Subcommittee concerns regarding the unilateral and extraterritorial application of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to ATA's member airlines a

ATA CEO Nick Calio Testifies before the Senate on the Reauthorization of the TSA (7/12/2011)
ATA supports and strives for a secure aviation system to benefits all Americans. Effective, efficient security is vital to a robust and financially sound U.S. airline industry, making aviation security a core homeland security function.

ATA Testimony by Senior Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations Before the House Transportation and InfrastructurInfrastructure Committee, Aviation Subcommittee on GPS Reliability (6/23/2011)
ATA testifies before the House Aviation and Coast Guard and Maritime Subcommittees on GPS as a critical element of aviation technologies and harms from potential disruptions to that technology.

ATA Testimony by President and CEO Nicholas Calio Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on FAA Reauthorization Legislation (2/9/2011)
ATA testifies before the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee on the FAA Reauthorization's exceptional opportunity to contribute even more fully to the U.S. economy and our nation’s number-one priority today: creating jobs.

ATA Testimony by Vice President of Operations and Safety Thomas L. Hendricks Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Aviation Subcommittee on the Pilot Flight-and-Duty-Time Rule (9/16/2010)
ATA and its member airlines are committee to utilizing the best scientific research and operational experience in devising new regulatory initiatives to improve pilot duty time and fatigue management

ATA Testimony by John Meenan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, before the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection of the House Committee on Homeland Security on 100% Air Cargo Screening (6/30/2010)
ATA testifies before the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection on the airlines' progress in achieving 100 percent screening of cargo transported on passenger-carrying aircraft by August 2010.

ATA Testimony by President and CEO Jim May Before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, Urban Development and Related Agencies on Aviation Stakeholder Priorities for Maintaining a Safe and Viable Aviation System (3/18/2010)
ATA testifies before the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee to bring members up-to-date on the airline industry including: changes in industry dynamics, priorities and challenges, and what committee leadership can do to help the industry.

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A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.

What the Experts Say:

“GPS is critically important to the millions of customers who airlines fly every day, and is the heart of a multibillion dollar system to modernize the air navigation system. The stakes are too high for passengers, shippers and communities that rely on air service to leave to chance our ability to utilize GPS to the greatest advantage.”
Tom Hendricks, senior vice president for safety, security and operations, A4A

A4A press release

02/08/2012