December 11, 2008
The Honorable Daniel Akaka
141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Akaka:
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before the Congress, federal agencies and state governments. NATA’s 2,000 member companies own, operate and service aircraft. These companies provide for the needs of the traveling public by offering services and products to aircraft operators and others such as fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, parts sales, storage, rental, airline servicing, flight training, Part 135 on-demand air charter, fractional aircraft program management and scheduled commuter operations in smaller aircraft. NATA members are a vital link in the aviation industry providing services to the general public, airlines, general aviation, and the military.
On behalf of NATA, I strongly encourage you to oppose H.R. 7321, a bill to authorize financial assistance to eligible automobile manufacturers, and for other purposes, when the Senate considers this bill on the Floor. Contained within this legislation is a provision that would prohibit the major auto manufacturers from owning or leasing private aircraft. It is my understanding that this provision is also intended to preclude the use of commercial on-demand air carriers as well as participation in fractional ownership programs. Approving the legislation with this provision sets a damaging precedent that will detrimentally affect the thousands of small businesses in this country that provide air transportation using general aviation aircraft as well as the small businesses that support these types of operations. Expressly prohibiting all air travel that is not on a scheduled commercial airline is an unreasonable restriction on the auto industry and any other industry with a diverse rural manufacturing and supplier network. Most of the automakers’ facilities are located in rural areas, which requires efficient transportation that the airlines, especially as they cut back on routes, can’t provide. Chartering an aircraft on a government-licensed on-demand air carrier offers corporations unparalleled speed and access at far lower costs than any form of ownership.
I implore you, as a member of the U.S. Senate, to consider the more than 1.265 million jobs created by the general aviation industry, many of which are supported by these small aviation businesses and play a critical role in our American economy. These jobs are placed at significant risk if the federal government bars corporations from using their services. Using legislation intended to save jobs in one sector of the economy to impact jobs negatively in another, equally important segment, is unconscionable. The aviation businesses represented by NATA will all suffer financially if Congress approves this legislation with its underlying precedent that the use of private aircraft by Corporate America is not acceptable.
While it is regrettable that this month’s Congressional hearings that focused on the use of private aircraft by the Big 3 automakers’ CEOs have tainted an industry that provides an invaluable resource to working America and our economy, I strongly encourage you to oppose H.R. 7321. The small aviation businesses that are the backbone of the aviation industry, especially during these difficult economic times, should not suffer from the unintended consequences of this legislation.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue. Should you or your staff have any questions about this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me at (800) 808-NATA.
Sincerely,
James K. Coyne
President