Founded in 1936, the Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) is the nation’s oldest and largest airline trade association, representing the nation’s leading airlines. Since its inception, it has played a major role in all the significant government decisions regarding aviation, including the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, the creation of the air traffic control system, airline deregulation, and recently with the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on America.
ATA is recognized by Congress, state governments, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration, the press and the public for its professional and accomplished representation of the industry. As ATA members chart their futures in an ever-changing market, ATA provides valuable expertise, guidance and assistance.
By working with members in the technical, legal and political arenas, ATA continues to lead industry efforts to fashion crucial policy and supports measures that enhance aviation safety, security and the vitality of our aviation system. ATA employs experts representing a wide range of industry disciplines, and provides an array of services to its members, including committees designed to deal with issues related to fuel, airports, engineering and maintenance, the environment, training, security, ground safety, medical issues and international affairs, among others. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all passengers and cargo in the United States.
Mission
ATA serves its member airlines and their customers by assisting the airline industry in continuing to provide the world’s safest system of transportation; transmitting technical expertise and operational knowledge to improve safety, service and efficiency; advocating fair airline taxation and regulation worldwide to foster a healthy, competitive industry; and by developing and coordinating industry actions that are environmentally beneficial, economically reasonable and technologically feasible.
Goals
The association’s fundamental purpose is to foster a business and regulatory environment that ensures safe and secure air transportation and permits U.S. airlines to flourish, stimulating economic growth locally, nationally and internationally. By working with members in the technical, legal and political arenas, ATA leads industry efforts to fashion crucial policy and supports measures that enhance aviation safety, security and well-being. ATA goals include:
- Championing the world’s safest transportation system
- Protecting airline passengers, crewmembers, aircraft and cargo, working collaboratively with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
- Modernizing the U.S. air traffic management system via the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Challenging government policies that impose unwise regulatory burdens or impinge on marketplace freedoms
- Reducing the disproportionate share of taxes and fees paid by airlines and their customers
- Improving the industry’s ability to attract the capital necessary to meet future demands
- Shaping international aviation policy to ensure that U.S. and foreign carriers can compete on equal terms
During its 70-year history, ATA has seen the airline industry grow from the small, pioneering companies of the 1930s into facilitators of the global economy. ATA and its members continue to play a vital role in shaping the future of air transportation.