ATA Writes Congress to Discuss The Threat to US Airlines From Government Support of Overseas Competitors

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 Writes Congress to Discuss The Threat to US Airlines From Government Support of Overseas Competitors
	PubZone1 September 16, 2010 The Honorable Senator or Representative The United States Congress Washington, DC Dear Member of Congress: U.S. airlines are major contributors to U.S. travel and tourism exports, but that contribution is being threatened by U.S. government support for our competitors overseas. Yes, it’s true – the U.S. government has provided generous financing for commercial aircraft purchases by our foreign competitors, including Korean Air, Air India and Emirates, which is the largest Middle East airline and the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. This financing, by significantly lowering the cost of capital for foreign airlines, puts U.S. carriers at a competitive disadvantage and creates artificial incentives for the acquisition of new aircraft, flooding the global market for passenger traffic with excess capacity. We are particularly concerned that the damage to U.S. airlines caused by such export assistance may be worsened by the outcome of current negotiations to achieve a new "Aircraft Sector Understanding" (ASU) within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). I’m attaching, for your review, an insightful article about this situation and hope that you will consider weighing in with the Treasury Department on this important topic, urging them to put an end to the subsidizing of rich foreign airlines. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 202-626-4000. Sincerely, James C. May Attachment: Why U.S. Airlines Pay More to Finance Jets, The Street, 9/13/10 PubZone2	A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.