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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 14%

  • 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

 US Travel Association Coalition Letter in Support of FAA Reauthorization

Public Policy section: picture of the Capitol dome

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August 4, 2011
 

The Honorable John L. Mica
Chairman
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
United States House of Representatives
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
 
The Honorable Nick J. Rahall
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
United States House of Representatives
2163 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
 
The Honorable John D. Rockefeller, IV
Chairman
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
United States Senate
254 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
 
The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
Ranking Member
Committee on Commerce, Science and  Transportation
United States Senate
144 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
 
Dear Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Member Hutchison, Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Rahall:
 
Thank you for your continued commitment to provide adequate investment in our nation’s aviation infrastructure. We are writing to urge you and your colleagues to immediately resolve a multi-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill or agree on another short term extension of the FAA programs. We are deeply concerned about the impact the current impasse is having on the funding stream of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, causing critical airport infrastructure projects to be put on hold and impeding progress towards modernization of our air traffic control system.
 
Civil aviation and airport infrastructure are critical to the travel and tourism industry, which creates $1.8 trillion in economic output and supports 14.1 million jobs. Earlier this year, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that enacting a long-term FAA reauthorization bill could add $17 billion dollars in travel spending back into the U.S. economy. This spending can support more than 155,000 jobs in the travel industry including lodging, foodservices, amusement, recreation, and retail industries.
With the expiration of aviation excise taxes that fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund at midnight on Friday, July 22, 2011, the fund is losing approximately $30 million in tax revenue each day. This situation negatively impacts millions of dollars of construction projects, including those affecting air traffic control towers, communications and weather systems, deployment and testing on the Next Gen air traffic control system, and other vital aviation projects. We are concerned about both the short-term and long-term impacts an ongoing expiration would have on the nation’s airports and the travelling public.
 
We urge your strongest consideration of efforts to resolve the current Congressional impasse on this issue as soon as possible.
 
National Travel Leaders
U.S. Travel Association
Air Transport Association
Airports Council International - North America
American Gaming Association
American Hotel and Lodging Association
Carlson Hotels
Destination Marketing Association International
Interactive Travel Services Association
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
International Association of Exhibitions and Events
Marriott International, Inc.
National Park Hospitality Association
National Tour Association
Orbitz Worldwide
Society of Independent Show Organizers
Southeast Tourism Society
Starwood Hotels and Resorts
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
 
State Travel Leaders
California Airports Council
Hawaii Tourism Authority
Louisiana Travel Promotion Association
North Carolina Department of Commerce
Oklahoma Travel Industry Association
U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association
Utah Office of Tourism and Film
Utah Tourism Industry Coalition
VISIT FLORIDA
 
Local Travel Leaders
Abilene Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau
Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association
Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau
Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau (TX)
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau
Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau
Coastal South Carolina USA
County of Ventura Department of Airports
Denver International Airport
Destination DC
DFW International Airport
Discover Kalamazoo
DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau
Durango Area Tourism Office
Dutchess County Office of Tourism
Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau
Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau
Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association
LA Inc.
Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau
Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau
Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CA)
Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau
New Orleans Convention and Visitor Bureau
North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau
NYC and Company
Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau
Palm Springs Desert Resorts Communities Convention and Visitors Authority
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
Plano Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau
San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau
San Francisco Travel Association
San Juan County Economic Development
Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau
Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Sonoma County Tourism Bureau
Space Coast Office of Tourism and Film
Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tampa Bay & Company
The Greater MIAMI Convention and Visitors Bureau
Travel Portland
Tucson Airport Authority
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau (CA)
Visit Fairfax
Visit Orlando
Visit Saint Paul
Visit Salt Lake
VisitRochester (NY)
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
 
CC: Speaker John A. Boehner
        Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
        Majority Leader Harry Reid
        Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
 


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