ATA Writes Senate Leadership in Support of Measures that Support the Advancement of Biofuels in the Upcoming Energy Bill

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 Writes Senate Leadership in Support of Measures that Support the Advancement of Biofuels in the Upcoming Energy Bill
	PubZone1 July 20, 2010 The Honorable Max Baucus Chairman, Committee on Finance United States Senate 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-2602 The Honorable Charles Grassley Ranking Member, Committee on Finance United States Senate 135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-1501 Dear Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley: On behalf of the members of the Air Transport Association, I am writing to voice strong support for the expedited development and commercialization of advanced biofuels. As the Committee on Finance works to put together a comprehensive tax package for the upcoming energy bill, I urge you to include measures that promote the expansion of biorefinery capacity for the production of advanced biofuels in significant commercial volumes in the shortest time possible. The U.S. airline industry is anxious to see the development and commercialization of advanced biofuels in the aviation sector. Unlike many other major consumers of energy, airlines actively support initiatives to promote the development of biofuels for our industry and are enthusiastic about the prospect of becoming customers for this emerging industry. We believe that sustainable bio-jet fuel, made from biomass and other feedstocks is critical to our desire for clean, abundant, renewable, domestically produced jet fuel. Biofuels companies across the country are poised to produce substantial quantities of bio-jet and other fuels from a variety of feedstocks, but federal government policy is the key to making that happen. Among other policy initiatives, it is essential that certain tax credits be extended at or above their current levels for as long as is possible and that they ensure eligibility for fuels made from all promising "next-generation" feedstocks and refining technologies. First, it is vital that the existing $1 per-gallon tax credit for distillates like bio-jet is extended. This credit is necessary to promote the production of aviation biofuels and I commend you for including this credit in your draft bill. The second credit is for alternative alcohols (alcohol fuels other than ethanol) and is currently set at 60 cents per gallon. Like bio-jet, new alternative alcohols such as biobutanol, a "drop-in" biofuel made from biomass, are on the horizon and their development should be encouraged. Just as other biofuel tax credits led to the successful development of the ethanol and biodiesel industries, so too will these credits for new, emerging biofuels. Without consistent federal support at levels sufficient to move the market, the commercialization of these new and vitally important biofuels will be unnecessarily stifled and their significant benefits will be delayed. Thank you for your tremendous efforts to put the country on the path toward energy independence and a more secure sustainable future. We stand ready to assist you in moving this vital energy legislation forward. Sincerely, James C. May cc: Majority Leader Harry Reid PubZone2	A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.