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
June 24, 2008The Honorable John BoehnerMinority Leader of the House of Representatives1011 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515Dear Minority Leader Boehner:I write today in strong support of H.R. 3089, legislation that would greatly increase access to many of our nation’s vast, untapped petroleum reserves and incentivize the development of much-needed new refining capacity in this country.In recent months, the price of fuel has become the single largest cost center for the U.S. airline industry – surpassing labor costs and approaching 40 percent of all industry expenses. As a result of skyrocketing energy costs, we estimate that U.S. airlines will spend in excess of $61 billion on fuel this year alone. To put that in context, our fuel costs were approximately $41 billion last year and a mere $12 billion as recently as 2002.Given the energy-intensive nature of our industry, airlines are being crushed by the weight of these skyrocketing fuel costs. Just last week, the Air Transport Association released revised financial estimates for the industry that project losses this calendar year between $7 billion and $13 billion. Without relief from today’s high fuel prices, it is possible that one or more of the companies in our industry will not survive, sending the entire air travel system in this country into turmoil and interrupting – and possibly terminating – air service to countless communities around the country. The only way to alleviate this threat is to provide relief from current high fuel prices.While there are several causes for today’s record-high prices, one of the most significant factors is tight fuel stocks caused by an inadequate supply of crude oil in the marketplace. This legislation would make tremendous strides toward unlocking the additional domestic crude oil volumes and refinery capacity that we need to address this serious problem and provide our nation with the energy it needs to create new jobs and grow our economy.I commend Congressman Thornberry on his strong leadership on this vital national issue and I encourage House leadership to schedule this legislation for immediate consideration. Sincerely,James C. MayPresident and CEO
cc: The Honorable Nancy Pelosi