Air Transport Association Congratulates the House T&I Committee for its Leadership on Passage of the House FAA Reauthorization Bill

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Apr 01, 2011, 03:24 ET

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, today congratulated the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee members and other representatives for their leadership on passage of HR. 658, the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011, which passed today by a vote of 223-196.

"We applaud Chairmen Mica and Petri, and the House for passing a bill that is free of any tax increases, which is good for customers and enhances the global competitiveness and viability of the U.S. airline industry," said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. "The FAA bill also enables our industry to build on our strong safety record by protecting critical data and moving NextGen implementation forward, which will reduce flight delays, and help carriers mitigate rising fuel prices and our environmental impact. NextGen performance deadlines and metrics will also ensure that FAA is focused on delivering the promise of a modernized system that will benefit all."

Calio continued, "Congress rejected a misguided amendment that would have improperly interfered with the contractual relationships between carriers and Global Distribution System providers. Airlines must be able to operate like any other business, and determine through what channels they sell their products, without government intervention."

Key provisions ATA supports in the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 include:

Rejection of the $2 billion Passenger Facility Tax increase
Deadlines and metrics for ensuring FAA will deliver promised benefits of a NextGen air traffic management system
Provisions to enable public-private partnerships for NextGen financing
Establishment of a risk-based approach for foreign repair stations inspections that protects U.S. jobs and respects bilateral agreements
Harmonization of U.S. regulations and international standards for shipments of lithium batteries and products containing them that will enhance safety
Reversal of the recent administrative rule which made it possible for a union to be organized without the support of the majority of employees represented
Critical legal protections for safety information provided to the FAA as part of their Safety Management System for voluntary safety data submissions
Congress' clear view that the unilateral application of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme will violate international law and bilateral agreements

ABOUT ATA

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA 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 @airlinesassn.

SOURCE Air Transport Association