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
Strengthens Global Advocacy Team WASHINGTON, June 6, 2012 – Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today named Josh Saltzman, top aide to Rep. Pete Sessions, (R- TX), to the role of Vice President, Global Government Affairs, further expanding the depth and breadth of the association’s advocacy team. Saltzman joins A4A having spent the last 12 years on Capitol Hill, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to Rep. Sessions, who is Vice Chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee and Chairman of the Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process. In this role, Saltzman was chief policy and political aide and served as primary liaison with Republican leadership offices, Members of Congress and their staffs. He has extensive management and legislative experience. “Josh has a proven track record of working cooperatively with leadership and with members of both parties, and will be a strong addition to our growing advocacy team that is drawn from the White House and top Hill leadership staffs,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas Calio. “Commercial aviation is a significant contributor to the economy, driving 5 percent of U.S. GDP and creating nearly 10 million jobs, and can do more. With the addition of Josh, we continue our work to build a world-class trade association and advocacy team that can help ensure the U.S. airline industry has the right infrastructure, tax and regulatory environment to compete globally, add service and create jobs.” "Josh is a smart, loyal and trusted professional whose service has been a tremendous asset to my office," said Rep. Sessions. "While I will miss his experience, skill and leadership, Airlines for America could not have hired a more hard-working or dedicated advocate." Prior to his most recent post, Saltzman served as Deputy Chief of Staff/Rules Committee Associate for Rep. Sessions and also worked as legislative aide to Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) and as a staff member to Rep. Patrick Toomey (R-PA).
“It is hard to imagine an industry more dynamic and one that has more opportunity to further drive the economy than the airline industry,” Saltzman said. “I look forward to working with A4A and our members to continue to move the industry forward.”
Saltzman received his master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Dublin, Trinity College; and his bachelor’s degree in government from The College of William and Mary. Saltzman will join A4A on June 18.
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.