WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, yesterday urged climate negotiators to oppose an exorbitant new climate change tax to be imposed on the airlines and their passengers. The so-called "International Air Passenger Adaption Levy," would single out aviation to raise $10 billion per year for climate-change projects to be built in developing countries.

ATA wrote to the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, Todd Stern, urging the United States to strongly oppose this steep tax on international air travel. "The proposed tax would unfairly and unreasonably target one industrial sector, a sector that has a tremendous fuel and greenhouse gas efficiency record, to the detriment of the economy," said ATA President and CEO James C. May.

"Even though the U.S. airlines account for less than 2 percent of the U.S. greenhouse gas inventory, we are committed to doing more. However, this hefty new tax would be counterproductive, siphoning away to the developing countries the very funds that the U.S. airlines need to continue to invest in new aircraft, retrofits, alternative fuel and other upgrades critical to the airlines' environmental performance and the U.S. economy," said May. "We should not be considered a piggy bank for developing countries."

In its letter, ATA urged the United States to oppose the tax, and instead to support the industry's proactive proposal for a global, sectoral approach to aviation and climate change.

U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by approximately 110 percent between 1978 and 2008, saving 2.7 million metric tons of CO2 - roughly equivalent to taking 19.5 million cars off the road each of those years.

ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional industry information, visit www.airlines.org.

SOURCE Air Transport Association of America

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