Dear NATA Members and Friends:
As 2025 draws to a close, I hope the holiday season has been a joyful time for you, your teams, and your families. I also want to thank you for your continued leadership, engagement, and commitment to NATA and the aviation businesses we represent.
This year marked a significant milestone as NATA celebrated its 85th anniversary. Founded in 1940 during a period of profound uncertainty for civil aviation, NATA was created to ensure that general aviation service providers had a strong and credible voice in Washington—a mission that has endured for more than eight decades. Through regulatory change, economic cycles, and technological transformation, NATA has advocated for access, safety, and the long-term vitality of aviation businesses nationwide.
NATA’s enduring purpose guided the association’s work throughout 2025. From Capitol Hill to the FAA and across the broader aviation ecosystem, NATA remained actively engaged on the issues most critical to our members. Sustained advocacy for predictable federal funding and operational continuity became especially important during the federal government shutdown, when FAA Emergency Orders and NOTAMs disrupted operations at some of the nation’s busiest airports. Throughout that period, NATA maintained constant communication with agency leadership and NATA members, provided timely guidance, and advocated for solutions that prioritized safety, access, and system integrity.
The shutdown reinforced a long-standing reality that NATA has consistently highlighted in our advocacy: general aviation and air charter operations are not the source of congestion at major airports and should not be treated as expendable during periods of system strain. NATA will continue working with Congress and the Administration to ensure that future funding lapses do not place aviation businesses or safety-critical federal employees in similar positions again.
Beyond the shutdown, NATA’s advocacy in 2025 reflected the growing complexity of the aviation landscape. We worked closely with the federal agencies and industry partners on air traffic control modernization through the Modern Skies Coalition, recognizing that a resilient aviation system depends on modern infrastructure, a supported workforce, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. We championed member perspectives on regulatory initiatives ranging from uncrewed aircraft system beyond visual line of sight operations to SMS implementation timelines, cybersecurity, airport rates and fees, and evolving guidance affecting general aviation access. NATA engaged across multiple working groups and industry coalitions during the year to advocate on behalf of its members, ensuring the operational realities and priorities of general aviation were presented, understood, and reflected in agency and industry discussions.
Safety leadership remained central to NATA’s mission in 2025. NATA Safety 1st continued to set the industry standard, supporting aviation professionals across the industry and reinforcing a culture of professionalism and operational excellence. Ongoing enhancements expanded access to training, strengthened learning technology, and ensured the program remains responsive to the evolving needs of aviation businesses worldwide, with additional improvements and new capabilities planned for 2026.
NATA remained deeply engaged on innovation shaping the future of aviation operations. Through our leadership of the EAGLE initiative and coordination with FAA and industry stakeholders, NATA advocated for a safe, practical transition to unleaded avgas while providing education that reflects the real-world operational, economic, and infrastructure realities faced by our members. Education and outreach helped airports, FBOs, pilots, and aircraft owners better understand the technical, regulatory, and logistical considerations involved, while also ensuring policymakers and regulators were informed by on-the-ground experience. In parallel, NATA actively engaged on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) advancements culminating in the release of the federal government’s AAM National Strategy, a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to accelerate development and deployment while ensuring safety, infrastructure readiness, and operational integration remain central. NATA emphasized that successful AAM integration is grounded in collaboration with existing aviation businesses and airports, the effective use of existing infrastructure, and policies that support expanded economic and transportation opportunity across the aviation ecosystem.
NATA also addressed one of the more complex and sometimes sensitive topics facing aviation businesses through the continued evolution of the Know Before You Go initiative. What began as an effort to encourage clearer pre-arrival communication developed into a thoughtful forum for engagement among operators, service providers, airport sponsors, and customers. Throughout the year, NATA approached these conversations with care and balance, helping all sides better understand how changing market conditions and operational realities shape expectations and experiences. By listening to member concerns from across the association and creating space for respectful dialogue on this and other topics, NATA encouraged collaboration, shared learning, and practical solutions that support positive outcomes across the aviation business community.
Internally, NATA took important steps to strengthen its organizational foundation. Our transition to a new headquarters in Washington, DC, reflects a strategic commitment to being engaged, accessible, and positioned at the center of the policy conversations shaping our industry’s future. That move, along with continued investment in our team and programs, positions NATA to serve members with even greater impact in the years ahead.
Through 85 years, one thing has remained constant. NATA’s greatest strength is its people. Your insights, your data, and your engagement drive our advocacy and inform our priorities. As we reflect on 2025 and prepare for the year ahead, I want to thank you for the professionalism, resilience, and leadership you bring to our industry every day.
The challenges before us are real, but so are the opportunities. With collaboration, balance, and a shared commitment to safety, access, and innovation, our industry is well positioned to lead and adapt in a rapidly evolving environment.
On behalf of the NATA Board of Directors and staff, I wish you a safe and successful start to the new year. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your continued support. We are honored to serve you and look forward to continuing to advance our industry together.
With sincere appreciation,
Curt Castagna
President and CEO
National Air Transportation Association