CONTACT:

Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 138

Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 133

   
Alexandria, VA (January 15, 2009) – The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and 10 other organizations from the commercial and general aviation community this week submitted a letter to Congress requesting stimulus funding to jumpstart NextGen – the Federal Aviation Administration’s plan to update the ground-based air traffic system – by equipping aircraft with necessary technologies. Advancing the schedule originally set to achieve investment return in 2025 will sooner create jobs, reduce carbon emissions and prepare for an air transport system supporting economic growth.

Bill Connors, NBTA Executive Director & COO, said, “NBTA is proud to join the aviation community in encouraging Congress to invest in accelerating the modernization of the nation’s aviation infrastructure. In doing so, we can speed up the plan to improve aviation environmental contribution and achieve greater airline safety and performance, reducing delays for corporate travelers across the globe.” 

The letter requests $4 billion of the $20 billion in required equipage costs to accelerate the program and its benefits. Organizations that join NBTA in this request include Aerospace Industries Association, Air Carrier Association of America, Air Line Pilots Association, International, Air Transport Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Cargo Airline Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Air Carrier Association, National Air Transport Association, National Business Aviation Association, and Regional Airline Association.

View the letter here

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