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  • 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

 Coalition Letter to Senators Inouye and Cochran Requesting Funds for the Defense Production Act (DPA) Fund

Plane flying over a field

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April 25, 2012

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
Chairman
Senate Committee on Appropriations
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Thad Cochran
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran:
 
In advance of the scheduled mark up of the Fiscal Year 2013 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act on Thursday, the members of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), Airlines for America (A4A), the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) urge you to support the inclusion of language to allow for the transfer of funds from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accounts to the Defense Production Act (DPA) fund. This transfer that would further DOE’s mission is a top priority for our industries because it would serve as a catalyst to the development of a commercial supply of alternative fuels and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and a volatile global oil market.
 
The language, requested by DOE, would support an interagency initiative to ramp up commercial production of domestic renewable fuels for commercial and military use in ground, maritime and aviation systems. Advanced, drop-in biofuels offer a viable alternative to conventional petroleum-based fuels for defense applications and have been demonstrated in myriad weapon systems. The U.S. Air Force has already completed certifying its entire aircraft fleet to operate on a blend of 50 percent synthetic jet fuel and is moving to certify other alternatives. The U.S. Navy is in the process of approving hydrotreated renewable jet fuels, synthetics and other alternatives.
 
As these certifications have shown, advanced biofuels and other alternatives can replace military fuels derived from crude oil without disruptions or changes to existing equipment or infrastructure while reducing dependence upon oil imports. DOE’s ability to direct funds to this initiative will further its mission to “ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” It will also build on past DPA successes that have resulted in domestic production capacity for valued defense materials, such as silicon carbide ceramics (used in nuclear reactors), indium phosphide and gallium arsenide (used in lasers and semiconductors), as well as aluminum and titanium, which are ubiquitous in nearly all major weapons systems.
 
Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact us with any questions and please know that the members of our organizations stand ready to do their part to increase our nation’s energy independence and security.
 
Sincerely,
 
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A4A supports a truly comprehensive, meaningfully balanced U.S. energy policy and is committed to protecting our planet.

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