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
Despite 50 Cents Per Passenger Year-to-Date Profits, Airlines Continue to Add Jobs
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2012 – Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, is forecasting nearly 24 million passengers will fly during the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday season on planes that are expected to be full, as carriers continue to more closely match available seats to demand in an effort to offset what are expected to be record annual fuel costs.
The nation’s airlines expect the number of passengers traveling from Friday, Nov. 16 through Tuesday, Nov. 27 to increase by about 150,000 people, slightly higher than last year, but 10 percent below the peak travel years of 2006-2007. Planes are expected to be close to 90 percent full on the busiest traveling days, which are expected to be Sunday, Nov. 25 (2.4 million passengers), Wednesday, Nov. 21 (2.3 million passengers) and Monday, Nov. 26 (2.3 million passengers).
During the busy holiday travel season, passengers are encouraged to check their carrier’s website for flight status and check in electronically before arriving at the airport, register with their carrier for electronic flight updates and allow adequate time for security screening and checking bags. A4A also encourages passengers to check http://airlines.org/Pages/Passenger-Travel-Tips.aspx for additional travel tips.
A4A also provided key financial performance data of the U.S. airlines for the first nine months of the year. Despite a 5.6 percent increase in revenues, airlines have had to contend with 6.2 percent higher costs, reducing profits to a margin of 0.2 percent – or roughly 50 cents per passenger -- for the 10 largest U.S. carriers. A key factor in higher costs has been the price of jet fuel averaging $3.08 per gallon, outpacing the 2011 record high of $3 per gallon.
“Despite razor-thin profits, airlines have consistently demonstrated when they are even marginally profitable they add jobs, said A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich. “Improved airline balance sheets have translated into 21 consecutive months of job growth and enabled the carriers to reinvest in equipment, which will help boost efficiency and enhance the customer experience.”
Heimlich said that air travel remains an excellent value. While domestic airfare has risen about 4 percent year to date, it has not kept pace with inflation, and in real dollars it costs 16 percent less to fly today than it did in 2000.
ABOUT A4A
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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