Crewmember Identity Verification Program To Begin Testing

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

	Crewmember Identity Verification Program To Begin Testing
	PubZone1 WASHINGTON, April 1, 2011 – The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), and the Air Transport Association (ATA) met recently with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole and received approval from TSA for testing of a new crewmember screening system. This enhanced identity and employment verification system for airline pilots will make airport checkpoint screening more efficient for all who depend on air transportation. The system, which is jointly sponsored by ALPA and ATA, will tie airline employee databases together in a seamless way and enable TSA security officers to positively verify identity and employment status of crewmembers. In 2007, ALPA promoted to TSA the first version of an alternate screening method called the Crew Personnel Advanced Screening System (CrewPASS). CrewPASS has been used successfully at three East Coast airports for almost three years. This enhanced process leverages current technology to provide an effective and cost efficient solution. “I look forward to the full national deployment of a known crewmember program at the earliest possible date,” said ALPA President Captain Lee Moak. “As professional airline pilots, we have been through employment checks; we have been fingerprinted; we have been through criminal background checks. We are the most highly screened employees in the aviation industry, and we are on the frontlines of our nation’s aviation security effort every day, empowered to help protect it. This enhanced process recognizes those facts by providing pilots with a technologically modern and highly efficient alternative to the traditional security screening process.” “We are proud to partner with ALPA on this effort,” said ATA President Nicholas E. Calio. “Our nation’s airline pilots are highly skilled and trusted partners within our industry, and with this new system we can improve the screening system for flight crews while reducing congestion and improving the travel experience for passengers in TSA security lines.” “Deploying an enhanced screening program for pilots in uniform that allows TSA to verify their employment and identity is a step in the right direction as TSA continues to explore more risk-based, intelligence-driven security solutions,” said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. “We want to focus our limited resources on passenger screening, while speeding and enhancing the checkpoint experience for everyone.” Any TSA-regulated U.S. airline that wishes to connect to this enhanced system will be able to do so, and any airline pilot employed by one of those carriers will be able to participate in the program. Testing is projected to begin at a limited number of airports later this year. The tests will run for approximately 90 days and if successful will expand to additional U.S. airports. Implementation of this system is the culmination of ongoing discussions precipitated by an earlier announcement by TSA to modify checkpoint screening procedures for crewmembers while an identity verification system was being developed. Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org. Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn. For more information about TSA please visit www.tsa.gov. ### PubZone2	A4A is a leading source for key aviation information.