History

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
U.S. airlines move 50,000 tons of cargo per day
In 2011, the average value of a kilogram of U.S. merchandise exported by air was 117 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
From 2000-2010, U.S. airlines carried 15% more traffic while using 2.1 billion fewer gallons of fuel
Domestically, airlines drive 5% of economic activity but account for 2% of man-made GHG emissions
From 2000-2010, airlines reduced GHG emissions by 10% while transporting 15% more passengers and cargo
From 1975-2010, the number of U.S. residents exposed to significant noise levels fell 95%
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 2000-2010, U.S. airlines improved the on-time arrival rate from 72.6% to 79.8%
From 2000-2010, U.S. airlines halved the flight cancellation rate from 3.30% to 1.76%
Airfares are a bargain: From 2000-2010, U.S. CPI rose 27% while average domestic fare (excl. taxes) rose just 1%
Adjusted for inflation, the average round-trip domestic fare in 2010 fell 21% (from $398 to $316) compared to 2000
2007 domestic flight delays cost the United States approximately $31 billion
In 2011, the value of U.S. merchandise exported by air reached an all-time high of $424B
In 2011, U.S. exports of air-travel services reached an all-time high of $36.7B, driving the largest trade surplus in this category since 1992
In 2011, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines spent $50.5B on fuel, up $11.7B ($32M/day) from 2010
In 2011, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of mishandled baggage ever recorded
In 2011, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of involuntary denied boardings ever recorded
In 4Q 2011, U.S. airlines posted the second-lowest quarterly on-time arrival rate ever recorded
FAA projects U.S. air travel demand to top 1 billion passengers in 2024
In 2011, US airlines flew 80 million passengers in scheduled international service- a record high
In 2011, US airlines flew at 241.2 billion revenue passenger miles in scheduled international service- a record high
In 2011, US airlines operated 299.9 billion available seat miles in scheduled international service- a record high

	History
	PubZone1 Airlines for America (A4A), formerly known as Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA), was the first and remains the only trade organization of the principal U.S. airlines. Founded by a group of 14 airlines meeting in Chicago in 1936, the organization played a major role in all the major government decisions regarding aviation since its founding, including the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Board, the creation of the air traffic control system, airline deregulation and, more recently, in dealing with the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on America. A4A serves its member airlines and their customers by assisting the airline industry in providing the world’s safest system of transportation; transmitting technical expertise and operational knowledge among member airlines to improve safety, service and efficiency; advocating fair airline taxation and regulation worldwide to foster an economically healthy and competitive industry; and by developing and coordinating industry actions that are environmentally beneficial, economically reasonable and technologically feasible. The fundamental purpose of the association is to foster a business environment that drives our nation’s economy and global competitiveness. By working with members in the technical, legal and political arenas, A4A supports measures that enhance aviation safety, security and industry well-being. In the 75-plus year history of the association, A4A has supported America’s airlines as they evolved. Today, A4A members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. The structure of A4A is similar to most airlines and provides an interface between the carriers and various government and private-sector organizations. Key departments within the association deal with operations and safety, engineering, maintenance and materiel, airport operations, security, air traffic management, economics, federal and state government affairs, international affairs, legal affairs, environmental affairs, passenger services, facilitation, cargo, e-business and communications. Working with these established functions are a variety of A4A councils, committees, subcommittees and task forces – composed of experts from member airlines – formed to address industry issues. A4A continues to promote safety by coordinating industry and government safety programs, and serves as a focal point for industry efforts to standardize practices and enhance the efficiency of the air transport system. PubZone2	A4A members and affiliates transport more than 90 percent of U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic.