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
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 5, 2012 – Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that Southwest Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Gary Kelly has been elected to a two-year term to serve as Chairman of the A4A Board of Directors. United Airlines President and CEO Jeffery Smisek was elected to serve as Vice Chairman.
Kelly succeeds Delta CEO Richard H. Anderson.
“Gary Kelly is a dynamic leader who has been instrumental in moving the goals of the U.S. airline industry forward,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “We congratulate Gary on his election as our Chairman and look forward to working with him in our continued push to further a National Airline Policy, which is critical to America’s economic growth, our communities, our infrastructure and the traveling public. We also want to thank Richard Anderson for his exceptional leadership as A4A’s Board Chairman over the past two years. Richard’s clear vision, unwavering commitment and determination helped transform A4A into a highly effective advocate for the U.S. airline industry. His efforts have paved the way for a more competitive global commercial aviation industry in this country.”
“I am honored to be named as A4A’s Chairman, and I am committed to our continued work to help ensure the long-term stability and viability of the aviation industry,” Kelly said. “The U.S. airline industry plays a vital role in the overall health of our nation’s economy. I look forward to the opportunity to work with my industry peers to advocate for a National Airline Policy and serve our passengers, our employees and our communities.”
Gary Kelly began his career at Southwest Airlines as controller in 1986, moving up to Chief Financial Officer and Vice president of Finance, then Executive Vice President and CFO, before being promoted to CEO and Vice Chairman in July 2004. Gary assumed the role of Chairman in May 2008 and President in July 2008. Prior to joining Southwest Airlines in 1986, Gary was a CPA for Arthur Young & Company in Dallas and controller for Systems Center, Inc.
Smisek is President and CEO of United Continental Holdings, Inc., the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Previously, Smisek was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines, Inc. Smisek joined Continental in 1995 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In 2004, he became President and was elected to the company’s board of directors. He became President and Chief Operating Officer in September 2008 and assumed the role of Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2010.
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Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs.
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