NATA News

• House Approves Government Funding Through Nov. 18
• House Introduces TSA Reauthorization Legislation
• EPA SPCC Compliance Deadline For Aviation Facilities Remains November 10, 2011
• Aviation Industry Coalition Sends Unified Message To Congress On User Fees
• House Votes To Prohibit EU Emissions Trading Scheme On U.S. Commercial Aircraft
• NATA President James K. Coyne Comments On Airport’s Plan To Compete With Private Business
• TitleCain, Mica Highlight Successful NATA Aviation Business Roundtable
• Register Now For Emergency Response Planning Webinar
• USAIG 2nd In A Series Of NATA Safety 1st Workers’ Compensation Webinars –Slips And Falls
• NATA President Coyne To Receive NAA Award
• NATA Apparel Now On Sale
• New NATA Benefit: What Does HD Supply Have For NATA Members?
• Support Congressional Candidates Essential To Airline Services Companies
• Sign-Up To Receive NATA’s Weekly Political Update
• 2011 NATA Airline Services Council Brochure Now Available For Member Use
• New NATA ASC Logo Available For Member Use

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government funded until November 18, 2011. The measure includes $2.5 billion in disaster relief funding and will allow Congress to work out details of how specific programs and departments will be funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. 

While the new federal fiscal year actually began last Friday, none of the 12 annual appropriations bills have been completed. In fact, the Republican-led House has passed its versions of only six of the bills, and the Democratic-controlled Senate has passed just one. It appears likely that an omnibus spending bill, a grouping of appropriations bills into one measure to cover the remainder of the fiscal year, will be put together by the House Committee on Appropriations before the November 18 extension deadline.

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U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, and four other members of the committee joined Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security, in introducing legislation to authorize the functions and responsibilities of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. This is the committee’s second attempt to reauthorize the TSA separately from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The bill, the “Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act of 2011,” H.R. 3011, authorizes the TSA to continue its duties of securing the nation’s transportation systems from attack, while specifically aiming to streamline operations, eliminate redundancy, lower costs, and promote accountability. The legislation passed the Subcommittee on Transportation Security recently.

H.R. 3011 addresses all modes of transportation under the TSA − passenger travel and commerce on planes, freight trains, trucks, mass transit, buses, and pipelines. Key provisions of the legislation include a provision to ensure that the TSA doesn’t offer security directives in place of the federal regulatory processes without the presence of an imminent threat.

Other key provisions in the bill include:

• A risk-based program at airport checkpoints that would allow for expedited screening of trusted passengers, such as members of the military.
• Parameters for the screening of children at passenger screening checkpoints, to ensure that children are not subject to a pat-down unless there is express consent of a parent or guardian in the event that a screening anomaly cannot be resolved by checkpoint technology.
• A comprehensive, agency-wide review of the TSA to identify areas to improve efficiency and reduce costs to save taxpayer dollars, including the management of Transportation Security Officers.
• An air cargo advanced screening pilot program to strengthen cargo security by encouraging cargo carriers to provide shipment level data for air cargo bound for the U.S.

In addition to Rogers and King, original co-sponsors of H.R. 3011 include Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN), and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL). 

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Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an extension, for farms, to the compliance date for the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rules. The SPCC rules have undergone many changes over the last 10 years. The compliance date has been extended multiple times and is currently set for November 10, 2011. Last week’s compliance date extension for farmers does not affect aviation facilities that will still need to ensure that their SPCC plans are in compliance with the current rules by November 10.

NATA recently completed a webinar detailing the various changes to the SPCC rules over the past decade and the major factors aviation facilities should consider to ensure that their plans are in full compliance. A recorded copy of the webinar is available for purchase for $49.95. A recorded copy of the SPCC Compliance Webinar will give your facility the latest information on compliance with the complex SPCC rules and will include featured speaker George Gamble, founder of 2G Environmental. 2G Environmental was founded in 2003 and has extensive experience in aviation specific SPCC plans and other areas of environmental compliance.

To purchase a copy of the SPCC Webinar or for more information on the upcoming SPCC compliance deadline, please contact Michael France, NATA director of regulatory affairs, at mfrance@nata.aero.

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The aviation industry coalition comprising nearly 30 organizations issued a press release opposing tax increases that were proposed by President Obama as part of a debt-reduction plan that the Congressional Super Committee is now considering. Two new initiatives the Super Committee is contemplating imposing on airlines and their passengers and general aviation would lead to significant job loss across all sectors of the industry and the nation.

The initiatives consist of adding a new $100 departure tax or user fee on all flights and doubling the existing passenger security tax to $5 per one-way trip in 2012, then tripling the tax to $7.50 by 2017. The coalition of airlines, general aviation, manufacturers, consumer organizations and labor groups is sending a unified message to Congress to reject the proposed taxes.

A growing bipartisan group within Congress opposes the administration’s burdensome tax proposal. Nearly 120 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to congressional leadership in opposition to the $100 departure fee that would have a “devastating impact on the aviation industry and fails to achieve our shared goal of improving the economy and creating jobs.” The letter cited the crippling effect the per-flight fee will have on general aviation: “Imposing such a fee would stifle the industry, as has been the case in other countries where user fees have been put in place. General aviation is an important contributor to our economy with 1.3 million jobs and $150 billion in economic activity every year.”

NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne stated, “The aviation industry is united in opposing the President’s $100 per-flight fee or any other “user fee” that would be detrimental to the general aviation industry, commercial airlines, domestic manufacturing, small businesses, and our economic recovery. The aviation industry alone employs more than 10 million workers and contributes more than $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy. The industry and Congress support the current system of aviation excise taxes, which is a stable, efficient, and equitable source of funding. Per-flight user fees have crippled the general aviation industry in other countries, and the ramifications of such fees would be devastating in the U.S.”

To increase awareness and educate consumers and Congress, the Air Transport Association recently launched the Web site www.stopairtaxnow.com where visitors can urge Congress to reject punitive taxes on airline passengers and, at the same time, save American jobs and air service to their communities.

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2594, the “European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011” to exclude U.S. airlines from participating in the European Union (EU) program. The measure directs the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to prohibit U.S. carriers flying to and from Europe from participating in the program if it is unilaterally imposed. It also allows other federal agencies to take steps necessary to ensure that U.S. carriers are not penalized by the EU emissions scheme. NATA signed an industry letter supporting the H.R. 2594.

The EU insists that it will enforce a new law that imposes an emissions cap-and-trade program on airlines flying to and from Europe, despite angry opposition from the U.S. Congress. Starting January 1, 2012, the EU plans to include all airlines flying to and from its 27 member countries in its cap-and-trade program. This plan will eventually force the carriers to pay for their emissions of carbon dioxide, a so-called greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and could cost U.S. airlines $3.1 billion between 2012 and 2020. The restrictions are designed to encourage airlines to switch to cleaner fuels or economize on fuel consumption.

Earlier this month, Europe’s top court rejected a complaint by U.S. and Canadian airlines that the legislation breaches international law. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, where there is currently no companion legislation.

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In a letter sent recently to Corpus Christi Mayor Joe Adame, NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne warned the city of the dangers of blindly approving the Corpus Christi International Airport’s proposed plan to enter into direct competition with private business by owning and operating an FBO on the airport. “NATA is extremely concerned about the possibility that the Corpus Christi International Airport will place itself in the unique position of both competitor with and regulator of private enterprise,” said Coyne. “When combined with the loss of private investment in airport development, increased liability for the city and exposure to marketplace volatility speak loudly about the dangers of an airport assuming the role of marketplace competitor with existing private business.”

Last month, Corpus Christi International Airport Director Fred Segundo presented a plan titled “Proposed FBO Development Plan” to the city council for approval. This plan called for a dramatic shift in policy for the airport upon the conclusion later this year of the existing leases of the two private FBOs located on the field. The new plan envisions offering one of the two FBO leaseholds out to bid for a private business, while the airport retains ownership and operational control of the second FBO, creating a situation where the airport would be acting as both landlord and competitor to a private business. The airport’s plan cites one of the primary benefits of this plan as being “competitive pricing alternatives,” a mysterious term considering there are currently two private FBOs already competing for business on the field. “Since there are currently two separate businesses providing competing FBO services at the airport, it must be assumed that the “competitive pricing alternatives” will be derived from the airport sponsor utilizing its advantages as a governmental entity and landlord to allow its own FBO to provide lower prices for fuel and ground handling than would otherwise result from fair market competition,” noted Coyne in his letter to the mayor.

NATA strongly believes that airport sponsors utilizing their advantageous position as a sponsor and governmental entity to gain an economic advantage over private business while in direct competition on an airfield is a clear violation of the federal grant assurances. Because the harm to existing private businesses begins the moment they are subjected to economic discrimination by an airport sponsor, NATA further believes that sponsors must be required to demonstrate that they are not economically discriminating against their own tenants prior to engaging those tenants in market place competition.

Click here to read the full letter from Coyne to Mayor Adame.

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NATA’s annual Aviation Business Roundtable once again brought key executives in the industry together with some of the most influential decision makers in Washington, D.C. The two-day event (October 24-25) consisted of high-level meetings to discuss critical financial and political issues affecting the aviation business community.

“This time each year, NATA assembles panels and presenters to help us understand the most important issues that our industry faces,” stated NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne. “From the changing landscape at many airports to the uncertain prospects for regulatory and fiscal reform in Congress and within the administration, the discussions that unfold help all of us design our collective response to the chaos and complexity that is modern day Washington.”

The 2011 Aviation Business Roundtable lineup of speakers was highlighted by a keynote speech by Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain, and also included:

• A congressional aviation outlook session and breakfast with Congressman John Mica (R-FL), chairman, U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• An opening session with J. Randolph Babbitt, administrator, Federal Aviation Administration.
• Business perspective luncheon with Washington’s own Ted Leonsis, owner of multiple area sports teams, including the Washington Capitals.
• OEM industry roundtable panel, including Joe Lombardo, executive vice president, Aerospace Group, General Dynamics, John G. Rosanvallon, president and CEO, Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, and Pete Bunce, president and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
• Aviation industry roundtable panel led by NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne with Marion C. Blakey, president and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association, Todd Hauptli, senior executive vice president, American Association of Airport Executives and Edward M. Bolen, president and CEO, National Business Aviation Association.
• An industry forecast by Michael Boyd, president, Boyd Group International, Inc.
• General Aviation Infrastructure & Investment Coalition panel discussion with Michael Scheeringa, president, Signature Flight Support, Greg Arnold, president and CEO, Truman Arnold Companies, Clive Lowe, vice president, business development, Atlantic Aviation, and Jim Hopkins, vice president, sales & charter, Landmark Aviation.

“The presence of NATA’s members at this event sends a message to the policymakers present at the roundtable. It gives us a forum to express our anger at radical new user fee proposals. It demonstrates our commitment to stand with others in the aviation community against misguided attacks against our industry, and especially against our customers. And it helps us declare that jobs in aviation are no less important than those in any other industry,” added Coyne.

Please click here to view the 2011 Aviation Business Roundtable program.

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On November 10 at noon, NATA will present a one-hour webinar covering aviation emergency response planning (ERP). For only $49.95, your entire staff will have the opportunity to prepare your facility in the event of an emergency. Register now for the NATA Webinar by visiting www.nata.aero/events/webinars.aspx.

The session will discuss the following key areas:

1. Why do you need an ERP?
2. What should your ERP look like?
3. How do you know your ERP will work?
4. What should you do if something bad happens?
5. Lessons learned from "The Real World"
6. Q&A

The webinar will be led by Dave Hewitt of Hewitt and Company. Hewitt is a trained and experienced accident investigator and has over 20 years of experience in leading emergency response planning and execution for both small and large operations.

Registration for this webinar is $49.95 per location and includes a copy of presentation materials and link to a recording of the webinar. Register now for the NATA Webinar by visiting www.nata.aero/events/webinars.aspx.

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USAIG's webinar, Slips and Falls, is the second in a series of webinars that highlights losses that NATA Safety 1st Workers’ Compensation Program participants have experienced. The webinar series began with USAIG's Dave McKay reviewing lifting and straining accidents. The second webinar, lead by John Matthews and Vic D’Avanzo, will discuss slips and falls, and the resulting injuries that workers’ compensation insurance participants have experienced.

USAIG will discuss the statistics from two categories of slips and falls as well as falls from elevations. Matthews and D’Avanzo will delve into real-world case studies, review the accident circumstances and provide commentary on what can be done to prevent these accidents in the future with resources and available training.

Take an hour out of your day to keep your employees safe, reduce insurance and loss claims/costs and maximize your good experience return as an NATA Safety 1st Workers’ Compensation Program participant. Join USAIG and NATA on November 22 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM eastern. Click here to register for this free webinar.

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NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne will receive the National Aeronautics Association Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation Award during the group’s 2011 Fall Awards Banquet on November 7. Coyne is one of four recipients to receive the award.

“As the Elder Statesman Award is synonymous with lifetime achievement, these four individuals together have contributed immensely to the advancement of our industry, the defense of our nation, and the fabric of sport aviation in the United States,” said Jonathan Gaffney, chairman of the Selection Committee and president of NAA. “It is such a great honor to put their names on this most cherished award.”

According to NAA, “The Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation Award was established in 1954 to honor outstanding Americans, who, by their efforts over a period of years, have made contributions of significant value to aeronautics, and have reflected credit upon America and themselves. Previous winners have included Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Olive Ann Beech, Scott Crossfield, Carol Hallett, and Chuck Yeager. Click here for complete information on the award and a full list of previous winners.”

“On behalf of NATA’s board of directors and its members, I congratulate Jim on this great honor for his outstanding service to the the association and the general aviation industry at-large,” stated NATA Chairman Todd Duncan.

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The NATA.aero store is now offering embroidered Adidas Golf Apparel. Choose from an Adidas Men's or Ladies style ClimaLite Interlock Polo for $29.99 or an Adidas Relaxed Fit Adjustable NATA Logo Golf Cap for $14.99.

The polos are midnight blue and the cap is tan. Both are embroidered with NATA’s logo.

To order your apparel today, visit www.nata.aero/store, click on NATA store and then on search. Caps will be shipped as ordered. When ordering polos, please indicate the men’s or ladies’ design and a member of the NATA staff will call you to obtain proper sizing information. Men’s sizes M-XXL and ladies’ sizes M-XL are available. Please contact Diane Gleason at dgleason@nata.aero with questions.

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New NATA Benefit: What Does HD Supply Have For NATA Members?

Everything from lighting and janitorial products, paint and sundries to pool supplies, HVAC, hardware, window coverings and walkie-talkies…. HD Supply even carries hospitality supplies like linens, towels, soaps, shampoos and hair dryers. They have anything you may need for maintenance, repair and operation of your buildings and grounds. It’s all in their catalog.

HD Supply ships directly to you next day freight free in most parts of the country, saving you time and money by eliminating the need to leave your business.

As a member of NATA, you receive the lowest checked price in the catalog, no matter what quantity you buy. This represents a savings of up to 11-14% off of the core catalog prices.

Browse Catalog 61 online at www.hdsupplysolutions.com for great deals. Don’t have a catalog? Call 1-800-431-3000 to place orders and request a free catalog.

Use Source Code BCY for 10% off your first order and mention you are an NATA member.
Questions? Call Jawaun Hightower with HD Supply at 1-800-431-3015 ext. 2570

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Support Congressional Candidates Essential To Airline Services Companies Join NATAPAC Today!

In the past, NATA has successfully contributed to Members of Congress who have proven their leadership in supporting general aviation. NATAPAC supports congressional campaigns of Members, regardless of party affiliation, who look out for the interests of aviation businesses. With political fundraising and campaign activity at an all time high, we cannot afford to allow other interest groups to define the issues that will impact our members.

To stay informed about NATAPAC, fill out the authorization form located in the NATAPAC brochure today. NATA must ask for permission to solicit its members, as required by law. Because NATA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization, we must obtain written approval from NATA’s member companies before soliciting contributions for NATAPAC. Completing and returning the form in no way requires you to make a contribution; however, signing the authorization form allows you to stay informed on congressional candidates NATAPAC supports and contribute to NATAPAC if you choose.

To view the NATAPAC brochure, including authorization form, please click here.

Additional information regarding NATAPAC can be found at www.nata.aero/natapac.

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Sign-Up To Receive NATA’s Weekly Political Update

NATA offers its members a political update on specific items that the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the White House are working on each week. This weekly update provides detailed information on hearings, legislation that was introduced or debated in committee, and any issue that NATA is following within Congress or the White House. The update’s purpose is to provide members a more comprehensive view of the legislative matters on which the association is working. The Weekly Political Update is sent out via email only to NATA members who request to receive it. To view past weekly updates, please click here. If you wish to receive these updates, please click here. 

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2011 NATA Airline Services Council Brochure Now Available For Member Use

The NATA Airline Services Council brochure provides information on the latest activities that the council is undertaking, including issues, meeting schedule and member listing.

Members interested in receiving professionally printed hard copies of this brochure may contact NATA Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs Eric Byer.

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New NATA ASC Logo Available For Member Use

NATA has created a new NATA Airline Services Council logo that members can use on company stationery, publications and their Web site. The association recently provided members with two types of logos that members can use as appropriate. Members wishing to secure the new logo may do so by contacting Eric Byer.

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