A4A Calls on FAA to Improve Pilot-Qualification Proposed Rule

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

	A4A Calls on FAA to Improve Pilot-Qualification Proposed Rule
	PubZone1 WASHINGTON, May 1, 2012 – Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to significantly revise its proposed requirements for pilot certification and provide a system that builds on the industry’s strong safety record, is recommended by safety experts and that recognizes the quality of a pilot’s training and experience, rather than relying solely on a specific quantity of flight hours. “Hard-hour minimum requirements are not a substitute for the quality of a pilot’s training and experience,” A4A said in its comments filed with the FAA, noting that the change as proposed by the FAA would have unintended consequences. “Failure to provide additional options for meeting the requirements, as recommended by safety experts, will result in an unnecessary pilot shortage and significant barriers to recruiting regional and mainline pilots.” A4A comments are in response to the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued on Feb. 29, 2012, which would require that first officers hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and a minimum of 1,500 hours flight time to obtain the certificate. Existing FAA regulations do not require a first officer to hold an ATP certificate; only the pilot in command must meet this certificate requirement. As part of its recommended revisions to the proposal, A4A recommends that the FAA establish a restricted ATP certificate for Second in Command pilots, which takes experience and training into account. A4A also recommends that the FAA form an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to provide recommendations on the adoption of a Multicrew Pilot Licensing Program, which are used throughout the world by other safety regulators and take into account the realities of current operations and training. ABOUT A4A Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 10 million U.S. jobs. A4A airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesdotorg. ### PubZone2	A4A is a leading source for key aviation information.