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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

News Testimony

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As the trade association for America's leading cargo and passenger airlines, A4A is called on frequently by Congress to testify. A4A testifies before Congressional committees on behalf of the industry. A4A oral and written testimonies on behalf of its members can be found in this section (The oral delivery may have varied slightly from the written text and the content of these statements was current at the time that they were prepared). Upcoming hearings are also included.

A4A Written Testimony by Nick Calio, President and CEO, Before the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation (7/18/2012)
A4A discusses the policy framework necessary for a bigger, more productive, and internationally competitive aviation industry.
A4A Oral Testimony of Nicholas E. Calio, president and CEO Before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation (7/18/2012)
A4A discusses the policy framework necessary for a bigger, more productive, and internationally competitive aviation industry.
A4A Oral Testimony of Nancy Young, VP for Environmental Affairs Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Sciences and Transportation (6/6/2012)
A4A discusses concerns surrounding the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme.
A4A Written Testimony of Nancy Young, VP for Environmental Affairs Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Sciences and Transportation (6/6/2012)
A4A discusses concerns surrounding the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme.
A4A Testimony by Tom Hendricks, SVP for Safety, Security and Operations Before U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation (4/25/2012)
A4A discussed the importance of data-driven analysis programs conducted by airline employees, airports, and the FAA to ensuring the highest levels of aviation safety, as well as the industry’s progress in implementing recent FAA safety initiatives.
A4A Testimony by Tom Hendricks, SVP for Safety, Security and Operations Before the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senate Appropriations Committee (3/21/2012)
A4A emphasized the importance of travel to the U.S. economy, urging the adoption of a national travel-and-tourism strategy including visa reform, expansion of the Visa Waiver Program and TSA’s PreCheck program and increased CBP staffing at major airports.
A4A Testimony by Tom Hendricks, SVP for Safety, Security and Operations Before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Operations, Safety and Security, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (3/20/2012)
A4A discussed the importance of data-driven analysis programs conducted by airline employees, airports, and the FAA to ensuring the highest levels of aviation safety, as well as the industry’s progress in implementing recent FAA safety initiatives.
A4A Testimony by Tom Hendricks, SVP for Safety, Security and Operations Before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (2/8/2012)
A4A believes GPS is critical to the continued safety and efficiency of the national airspace system and urged policymakers to ensure that system is protected from disruption.
ATA Testimony by SVP, Safety, Security and Operations Tom Hendricks before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (10/5/2011)
ATA members believe that Congress and the Administration should be guided by a National Airline Policy that will treat America’s airlines like the global businesses they are and enable them to operate as such.
ATA Testimony by SVP Sharon Pinkerton before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee on Aviation Fuels (7/28/2011)
Sharon Pinkerton, Senior Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Policy testifies before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee on the importance of alternative fuels for the aviation industry and applauds the Subcommittee for their leadership.
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A4A is a leading source for key aviation information.

What the Experts Say:
“Urgent, concrete action by the United States is needed to overturn the EU ETS and bring the EU back to the negotiating table in support of a global framework. The United States, in its role as a world leader, must wield the tools it has to remove the wrong measure in favor of the right one.”
Nancy Young, vice president of environmental affairs, A4A, A4A

​A4A Press Release

06/06/2012
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T: 202.626.4000 | E: a4a@airlines.org

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