WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, issued a statement commending the strong leadership of Chairman John Mica and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) for releasing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill (H.R. 658) that recognizes the airlines' critical role in the economy and takes measures to enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. airlines.

"ATA applauds Chairman Mica and the House T&I Committee for crafting a bill that recognizes the critically important role that airlines play in driving the economy and job growth and takes measures to promote global competitiveness of the U.S. airlines while not further harming an industry and its customers already overburdened with taxes," said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. "We urge Congress to pass this bill and to invest in a NextGen air traffic management system that will improve the industry's safety and efficiency, grow jobs and enable U.S. airlines to keep pace with global competitors."

ABOUT ATA

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn.

SOURCE Air Transport Association