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 A4A Letters

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A4A corresponds frequently with government entities. Here you will find letters that A4A has sent on behalf of our members. At select times, A4A joins with other organizations when we share a common advocacy interest. This section includes coalition letters that A4A was a party to on a variety of issues.

The Price of Jet Fuel and Its Impact on U.S. Airlines (3/9/2011)
ATA Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich comments on the impact of jet fuel prices.

ATA Writes Congress About the U.S. Government Subsidizing Rich Foreign Airlines (10/19/2010)
ATA CEO Jim May writes Congress to follow up on a previous letter discussing the harm government subsidies of overseas competitors do to U.S. airlines.

ATA Delivers Statement of Common Principles on Official Export Credits to Secretary Geithner (10/12/2010)
ATA CEO Jim May transmits to Secretary Geithner a Statement of Common Principles adopted by ATA and nine European airlines to address the market distorting effects of official export credits for aircraft.

ATA Writes Congress to Discuss The Threat to US Airlines From Government Support of Overseas Competitors (9/16/2010)
ATA CEO Jim May writes all members of Congress to notify them of the harm government subsidies of overseas competitors do to U.S. airlines.

ATA Writes in Opposition to the Federal Republic of Germany’s Recently Adopted Air Transportation Tax (9/15/2010)
ATA writes the Federal Republic of Germany in opposition to their recently adopted air transportation tax and urges legislative action to rescind the measure.

ATA CEOs Letter to Senate Leadership Opposing PFC Increase in FAA Reauthorization (5/13/2010)
The CEOs of ATA's member airlines write Senate Aviation leadership urging them to not include the increase in the passenger facility charge in the final Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill.

ATA Letter to Sen Lieberman on the Aviation Passenger Security Fee (2/25/2010)
ATA writes Senator Lieberman, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, to express concern over his support of the administration’s proposal to increase the aviation passenger security fee. ATA believes homeland security is a national defense...

ATA Letter to Senate Transportation Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on NextGen Funding (11/6/2009)
ATA writes the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on the upcoming 2010 Transportation Appropriations bills.

ATA Responds to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on HR 4016 (11/4/2009)
ATA writes the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on the upcoming 2010 Transportation Appropriations bills.

ATA Requests APHIS Response to Concerns Surrounding the Proposed Fee Increase (10/29/2009)
ATA writes U.S. Special Envoy to Climate Change, Todd Stern, urging the climate negotiator to oppose a proposal for a climate change tax targeted at the airlines and their passengers to fund projects in developing countries.

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A4A advocates measures to support aviation safety, security and well-being.

What the Experts Say:

“It makes absolutely no sense at a time when we should be encouraging economic and business development enabled by travel and tourism, that we would discourage flying by trying to balance the budget on the backs of airline customers with yet another tax.”
Nicholas E. Calio, president and CEO, A4A

A4A press release

02/13/2012