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

Glossary

Events section: man under wing refueling a plane

Warsaw Convention

(October 12, 1929) The first international convention pertaining to liability in international air transportation, the Convention prescribes rules for air-carrier liability in case of death or injury to passengers, destruction, loss or damage to baggage, and losses resulting from delay of passengers, baggage and cargo. Liability limits set by the Convention were raised in 1955 by the Hague Protocol to the Warsaw Convention. Some parties to the Warsaw Convention have not ratified the Hague Protocol, which amended the Convention. The United States ratified the Warsaw Convention on July 31, 1934. The United States continued to adhere to the Warsaw Convention only after all airlines serving the United States agreed to sign an amendment that raised the liability limit to $75,000 and prohibited the use of certain Warsaw defenses. This agreement took effect on May 16, 1966. On September 25, 1975, a number of nations, including the United States, signed four Protocols, which amended the Warsaw Convention and the Hague and Guatemala Protocols. The four Protocols amended the increased liability limit found in the Guatemala Protocol, altered the monetary measurement from gold to Special Drawing Rights, and eliminated outdated documentary requirements with respect to the transport of cargo. The Guatemala Protocol and the first three Montreal Protocols have not come into force because the terms of entry into force have not been met. The U.S. government ratified Montreal Protocol IV, and it entered into force for the United States on March 4, 1999.