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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.

ATA comments on FAA Proposed Regulation on Flight Training Programs (8/12/2009)
ATA filed comments expressing serious and broad concerns about the FAA proposed regulation that would rewrite pilot, flight attendant, flight engineer and dispatcher training requirements. In particular, ATA believes that the proposal could adversely i...
Extension of JFK and EWR Scheduling Orders (6/19/2009)
ATA comments support extending the scheduling orders for John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, which expire on October 24, 2009, but recommend an indefinite extension instead of just a one-year extension. ATA...
New York Slot Auction Rules (6/15/2009)
ATA comments support FAA’s proposal to rescind the slot confiscation and auction rules for LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports. ATA also urges the FAA to permit slots to be sold and leased on a long-term basis.
ATA Comments on Proposed Slot Auction Procedures (10/2/2008)
ATA Comments on Proposed Slot Auction Procedures
Protester Reply to FAA Stay Opposition (8/22/2008)
A protest was filed with the Office of Dispute Resolution Acquisition (ODRA) regarding FAA’s refusal to delay the Newark Sept. 3 slot lease auction until the ODRA has time to make its decision on a pending auction protest.
ATA Petitions DOT to Delay Certain Drug Testing Provisions (8/18/2008)
On August 18, 2008, ATA filed a joint petition with the Regional Airline Association to delay the effective date of certain "direct observation" provisions in a recently issued DOT final rule. Given the drastic changes required by the rule, with little..
ATA Protests Newark Slot Auction (8/14/2008)
ATA has filed a formal protest of FAA’s planned auction of slots at Newark airport with the FAA Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition.
ATA Slot Lease Auction and Congestion Management Comments (8/11/2008)
ATA issued comments to the Notice of Slot Lease Auction -- Newark and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Congestion Management for John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Kennedy and Newark Congestion Management NPRM (7/21/2008)
On July 21, 2008, ATA filed comments in response to the FAA Kennedy and Newark Liberty Airport Congestion Management NPRM, which would impose an hourly operational cap and confiscate and rellocate slots via auction. ATA comments explain why the FAA lac...
LaGuardia SNPRM (6/16/2008)
On June 16, 2008, ATA filed comments in response to the FAA LaGuardia Airport Congestion Management SNPRM, which would impose an hourly operational cap, confiscate and reallocate slots via auction, and retire some slots. ATA comments explain why the FA...
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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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