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

The Case for a National Airline Policy

Public Policy section: picture of the Capitol dome

For the past 10 years, U.S. airlines saw more than $50 billion in losses. It was only in the past two years that they have begun to see profits, albeit meager ones. These earnings underscore the need for a National Airline Policy, which would help rationalize the industry’s regulatory and tax environment, modernize and reform infrastructure, mitigate jet-fuel costs and price volatility, and ensure that U.S. airlines can compete globally.

There is an opportunity to build on the aviation industry’s strong safety and operational performance and passage of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill in order to foster growth and sustained profitability, which will enable airlines to maintain good-paying jobs and service to communities and invest in their products and service. Commercial aviation creates more than 10 million good-paying U.S. jobs and drives more than $1 trillion in annual economic activity, and can even do more to enable American businesses to connect to global markets, if the government takes a holistic approach that addresses the fundamental tax, regulatory and infrastructure challenges that consistently undermine this industry in the United States.

News Release: U.S. Airlines Post Lower Earnings in 2011 Due to Rising Costs (Feb. 28, 2012)

U.S. Airlines Economic Review

The Case for a U.S. National Airline Policy

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