ATA Letter on the 'Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010'

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 14%
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

	ATA Letter on the 'Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010'
	PubZone1 April 16, 2010 The Honorable Blanche L. Lincoln Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry United States Senate 355 Dirksen Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Lincoln: Thank you for taking a strong stand to protect American families from rising gasoline prices and against rampant oil speculation by drafting aggressive legislation that will close loopholes, increase transparency and promote stability in the commodity futures markets. Your decision to support the values of Main Street over the interests of Wall Street is a win for all Americans. On behalf of the flying public, the Air Transport Association fully endorses Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010. Your leadership on this important issue will benefit all Arkansans. Additionally, critical Arkansas industries – including agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation – will better be able to compete as a result of your legislation to restore price stability to the commodity markets. High jet fuel prices, caused by rampant oil speculation in 2008, resulted in one of the worst economic crises that aviation has ever faced. In addition to their disastrous impact on the airline industry and our employees, these excessive prices severely harmed the larger economy. Rising fuel prices increased the cost of food, transportation, utilities, shipping and many other products. More importantly, the oil bubble weakened the finances of families and businesses, propelling the economy into the worst recession in 60 years. If Congress fails to pass your legislation quickly, history is likely to repeat itself. Crude oil prices are climbing towards $100 a barrel despite weak worldwide demand and more than adequate supplies. It is clear that excessive speculation, not market forces or the adequacy of supply, is responsible for current oil prices being 145 percent greater than 2009 lows. Wall Street speculators are creating an artificial demand for oil contracts – even as real demand remains low – manipulating the market and inflating prices. It is time for Wall Street to stop gambling at the public’s expense. Your leadership provides hope to average Americans that our government can help stop the reckless greed on Wall Street. We look forward to working with you in the coming days to build consensus in Washington and around the country for these reforms. By working together, we can help return energy prices to reasonable levels and limit manipulation and unchecked speculation. Sincerely, James C. May PubZone2	A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.