ATA Letter on the DHS Announcement of the New Airport Security Measures

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

	ATA Letter on the DHS Announcement of the New Airport Security Measures
	PubZone1 April 6, 2010 The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye Chairman, Committee on Appropriations United States Senate 722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Inouye: I am writing to express my concern that the recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement of new airport security measures, for non-U.S. locations, fails to recognize that homeland security is a national defense function. Since September 11, there has been a recognition that an attack on a U.S. airline is not an attack on airlines; rather, it is an attack on the United States and its citizens. For this reason, Congress federalized the aviation security function. As demonstrated again by the Christmas Day incident, the threat to our national security remains unabated. Because of that, the federal government must have a coordinated and effective strategy that spans the globe to prevent terrorists from launching attacks on our country. Unfortunately, the recent DHS announcement violates the principle that the federal government should procure and fund passenger screening equipment. Moreover, foreign governments at these locations will not purchase the equipment. The new requirements apply to 201 international locations where passengers will see very long lines and inefficient screening if Electronic Trace Detection (ETD) devices are not purchased. Thus, the only viable alternative is for air carriers to spend millions of dollars to purchase thousands of Electronic Trace Detection (ETD) devices for international airports. On top of this significant investment will be a $14,000 annual expense in materials for each ETD machine, additional staffing and training, and maintenance costs. Airlines will continue to be strong partners with the government to ensure the safety and security of our passengers, but believe that the proposed unfunded mandate breaks important precedent, and places an unreasonable burden on carriers. While we applaud the administration's plan to utilize a threat-based intelligence screening system to more effectively mitigate evolving terrorist threats from international locations, the administration's goals can and should be achieved through alternative means. Airlines and their employees and passengers cannot continue to absorb every growing unfunded mandate in addition to the $3.5 billion in annual security fees already collected from us and our customers. In addition to our concerns about the federal government's role, the DHS proposal faces another serious obstacle: There is currently a significant backlog of orders for ETD equipment of up to six months. It is our understanding that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has ordered 1,000 Electronic Trace Detection machines for domestic deployment. The new security measure correctly recognizes the current threat that the country faces from international gateways. One alternative to address this threat is for DHS to redirect the 1,000 ETD machines currently on order for use at international locations. Please know that we have worked closely and tirelessly with DHS and TSA in the aftermath of the Christmas Day incident to help prevent another attack. However, we urge Congress to bolster aviation security abroad by requiring deployment of new TSA ETD orders to locations where the greatest threat exists. We appreciate your consideration of our request. Sincerely, James C. May PubZone2	A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.