Media Brief – February 3, 2010

CONTACT:     
Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 138
Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 133
 

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the voice of the business travel industry – today applauded the Administration for addressing issues vital to the corporate travel industry in its FY 2011 budget proposal. The requested budget addresses several priorities of critical importance to NBTA, including enhanced aviation security and funding for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

NBTA commends the President for the $1.1 billion in proposed funding for the advancement of NextGen, representing a 30 percent increase over 2010.  The continued development and implementation of NextGen remains vital to the future of aviation and the business travel community.  In addition to the NextGen funding, the request also calls for significant investments in aviation security including $734 million for the deployment of 1,000 new Advanced Imaging Technology screening devices, as well as an increase in the number of Federal Air Marshals on international flights.  

NBTA Executive Director & COO Michael W. McCormick said, “We were pleased to see the President’s budget proposal include recommended funding for initiatives critical to the business travel community.  The budget request includes investments in aviation that will support the safe and efficient facilitation of business travelers, a concept at the heart of NBTA’s key mission and a driving force of our nation’s economy.  NBTA looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to advance the proposals within the President’s budget and enhance the overall state of our aviation system.” 

In NBTA’s 2010 Government Relations Agenda, the association is seeking funding for NextGen implementation and other travel infrastructure enhancements. NBTA’s agenda also includes support for secure and effective transportation, including the deployment of additional imaging machines. The NBTA 2010 Government Relations Agenda can be found at www.nbta.org or by contacting NBTA at pr@nbta.org. 

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Australia / New Zealand, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 17,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 5,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 13 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org