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Air Transport Association Chairman Tilton Urges New Administration and Congress to Make Modernization of Air Transportation Infrastructure a National Priority

Posted on: Friday, 27 March 2009, 17:28 CDT

WASHINGTON, March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Airlines Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Air Transport Association Chairman Glenn Tilton, speaking today at the Phoenix Aviation Symposium, stressed the critical role of air transportation in economic development across the nation.

"We are asking that the administration take the lead, working with Congress, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to partner with us to develop what our country truly requires -- a comprehensive plan for the aviation sector that will deliver a long-term step-change solution to enable efficient and effective aviation," said Tilton. "To establish a modern air transportation system that will be a step change and enable economic growth and a return to leadership for the United States, we will require partnerships."

Tilton said that air transportation is a critical part of our nation's infrastructure and should play a vital role in our country's economic recovery, enabling our cities and smaller communities to connect and compete domestically and globally. "Providing the infrastructure and energy policy needed to support 21st century aviation will allow the United States to compete in the global marketplace -- and support our objectives regarding safety, security and reduced emissions," said Tilton. "Moving from a ground-based to a satellite-based system will enable more flights to occupy the same airspace, meaning that the on-time performance improvements we are seeing today would still be a reality, even with triple the capacity."

Tilton said that he and the airline industry are enthused that the new administration is focused on improving the infrastructure to enable economic recovery. "We welcome the administration's intent to use federal stimulus investment to reinvent and revitalize," said Tilton. "While it makes sense that projects need to be 'shovel ready' to help these efforts in 2009, they must also be 'next generation' to sustain future growth in the years ahead. It is time for the United States to once again take a leading role in aviation."

Glenn Tilton's speech can be found at www.united.com/speech/detail/0,6862,60414,00.htm.

ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional industry information, visit www.airlines.org.

SOURCE Air Transport Association

Source: PR Newswire

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