Commercial Aviation’s Environmental Efforts

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

	Commercial Aviation’s Environmental Efforts
	PubZone1 The U.S. commercial aviation industry is committed to protecting our planet. Our exceptional environmental track record grows stronger every day. And, as the demand for air transportation continues to increase, we are dedicating hundreds of billions of dollars to the purchase of new aircraft, developing alternative fuels and improving operational performance, which will further reduce aircraft emissions and noise. U.S. commercial aviation has an exceptional environmental track record, which is growing even stronger. Between 1978 and 2011, the U.S. airline industry improved its fuel efficiency by 120 percent, resulting in 3.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) savings—equivalent to taking 22 million cars off the road on average in each of those years. The U.S. airlines’ record between 2000 and 2011 is particularly impressive, because we burned 11 percent less fuel in 2011 than they did in 2000, resulting in an 11 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, even though they carried almost 16 percent more passengers and cargo on a revenue-ton-mile basis. Our member airlines are committed to all aspects of the environment, including exposure to aircraft noise. Today, in fact, commercial aircraft are more than six times quieter than they were 40 years ago. Federal Aviation Administration data confirm that, since 1975, there has been a 95 percent reduction in the number of people exposed to significant aircraft noise in the United States, while the number of passengers our airlines have transported has tripled. Our record compares favorably with those of other industries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. commercial aviation contributes just 2 percent of domestic GHG emissions – much less than the 25 percent produced by the balance of the transportation industry. Today, commercial aircraft are as fuel efficient as compact cars, yet they are six times faster; they are also five to six times more fuel efficient than corporate jets. The value of freight carried by aircraft is 89 times the value of freight carried by trucks. All this adds up to tremendous GHG efficiency that few, if any, other industries can match. While aviation contributes just a small portion of GHG emissions, we transport almost a third of international trade by value, employ millions of people and drive more than 5 percent of the country’s gross economic output. Through our own direct investment, research and development, and public and private partnerships, we are working to further enhance the industry’s environmental performance. Airlines for America (A4A) carriers have joined the world’s airlines in committing to improving fuel efficiency an additional 1.5 percent annually through 2020, and to neutralizing the growth of aviation emissions from 2020. Commercial aviation continues to invest billions of dollars in new engines, airframes, winglets, fan blades and other design features that improve efficiency. Airlines optimize operations in the air and on the ground to save fuel costs and minimize emissions. Examples include using “continuous descent approaches” and “required navigation performance” procedures, while implementing satellite tracking technology, single-engine taxiing and electric gate power. A4A is a co-founder and active supporter of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), which is working to hasten the production and use of more environmentally friendly alternative fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – considered the authority on this issue – has determined that under the most likely scenario, CO2 emissions from global aviation in 2050 will account for only about 3 percent of total man-made CO2 emissions and that aviation’s overall GHG impact will be around 5 percent. Our airlines are working with other airlines around the world to do even better than that. PubZone2	A4A supports a truly comprehensive, meaningfully balanced U.S. energy policy and is committed to protecting our planet.