A4A Calls for National Airline Policy to Boost Global Competitiveness

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 for National Airline Policy to Boost Global Competitiveness
	PubZone1 WASHINGTON, July 18, 2012 – Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today called on the Senate to support a National Airline Policy in order to keep U.S. airlines competitive with foreign carriers, achieve sustained profitability and add highly skilled, technical jobs in the United States. “Airlines enable their local businesses to export goods, connect their residents to the world for business and leisure travel – and, importantly, create good-paying jobs,” A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said. “We face the very real risk of U.S. airlines increasingly shifting to feeding foreign airlines at our gateways, rather than expanding their flying of lucrative international routes.” Calio detailed how passenger and cargo airlines provide a tremendous value for American businesses and consumers, and enable the U.S. economy. In 2011, the value of U.S. exports by air was 117 times the value of exports transported by sea. Commercial aviation has grown to become one of the most important drivers of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and today U.S. airlines carry about 2 million passengers and 50,000 tons of cargo daily on approximately 28,000 flights. However, for years U.S. airlines have operated under a tax, regulatory and infrastructure environment that has made it increasingly difficult to make be sustainably profitable and compete globally. If the airline industry continues to lose ground to foreign competitors, it will take a toll on the larger economy, Calio said. U.S. airlines already have reduced capacity to some international markets – the most profitable part of the business – and to a great degree, the part that subsidizes many domestic routes, particularly service to the smaller communities. In order to stay competitive and drive further economic growth, A4A outlined the need for a National Airline Policy, which would have five core elements: • Address the rising tax burden • Reduce the industry’s regulatory burden • Expedite implementation of a satellite-based air traffic management system • Expand access to global markets • Enable the U.S. airline industry to attract investment 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.