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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

 Public Policy Agency Filings

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PubZone1
A4A frequently participates in rulemaking and other regulatory proceedings affecting the airline industry. A4A public filings to regulatory agencies are included here.

SAMHSA Request for Information on Oral Fluid Specimens for Drug Testing (8/9/2011)
ATA comments support SAMHSA’s consideration of oral fluid specimens as alternative method of drug testing employees.
FDA Food Labeling NPRM (6/29/2011)
ATA comments that FDA adopt the regulations as proposed with a few minor clarifications because they reflect the intent of recent statutory changes to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by applying limited food labeling requirements to...
ATA Comments on the United Kingdom’s Air Passenger Duty Proposal (6/17/2011)
ATA comments to the United Kingdom’s air passenger duty proposal.
CFTC Proposed Rule Commodity Options and Agricultural Swaps (4/4/2011)
ATA urges the Commission to confirm that variable delivery cash contracts for jet fuel are excluded from the definition of “swap” if it supersedes existing Rule 32.4.
ATA Supports Position Limits for Futures Markets (3/29/2011)
ATA comments to the CFTC support the immediate adoption of proposed spot-month position limits but call for stronger, aggregate limits for non-spot month trading to restore the price discovery functioning of the energy futures markets.
ATA Comments on DOT Regulatory Review Process (3/8/2011)
ATA submitted preliminary comments to DOT on developing a regulatory review plan. ATA urged DOT, among other things, to establish a transparent process for reviewing existing rules that might be outmoded, ineffective, inefficient or excessively...
CFTC Proposed Rule: Foreign Boards of Trade (2/8/2011)
ATA supports the CFTC proposed rule on registration requirements for foreign boards of trade. The proposed rules will enhance the Commission’s abilities to monitor compliance regarding excessive speculation and market manipulation.
CFTC Proposed Rule: Real-time Reporting of Swap Transactions (2/7/2011)
ATA supports reporting swap transaction data to the CFTC to enhance market transparency and oversight, but recommends that public dissemination be delayed by up to 24 hours for trades in illiquid markets to prevent unintended market distortions.
CFTC Proposed Rule: Swap Data Reporting and Recordkeeping (2/7/2011)
ATA comments support the CFTC’s proposed rule to require swap dealers and major swap participants to capture and report trading data. However, ATA recommends that the CFTC carefully examine the cost-benefit analysis of requiring pre-transaction...
Prohibition of Market Manipulation (CFTC) (1/3/2011)
ATA comments support the CFTC proposed rule to prohibit fraudulent and deceptive practices to manipulate commodity markets, including energy markets. ATA endorses the CFTC’s broad reading of its authority to prohibit market manipulation as part of...
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PubZone2
A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.

What the Experts Say:
“Hard-hour minimum requirements are not a substitute for the quality of a pilot’s training and experience… A4A carriers have an exemplary safety record and engage in continuous improvements in safety and training and the A4A supports raising pilot qualification requirements, but not to the extent of the NPRM which we believe will reduce the quality of the pilot force rather than enhance it."

A4A ,

​A4A press release

05/01/2012
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