Bolen Tells Senators: Continued Aviation System Modernization a Top Business Aviation Priority

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen told members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation and Space that full implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is critical to maintaining America’s lead in global aviation – a shared priority for all stakeholders, including business aviation.

“The United States has the world’s largest, safest, most efficient and most diverse aviation system, supporting more than 200,000 general aviation aircraft,” said Bolen. “However, to maintain our leadership, we must continually modernize the ATC [air traffic control] system. This imperative to modernize is why NBAA has taken a leadership role in partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] to advance our shared modernization goals. With more than 1.1 million jobs and $219 billion in annual economic impact tied to general aviation, our industry is committed to growing and moving forward.”

Business aviation serves small towns and rural communities across the country, and can reach more than 5,000 public-use airports, Bolen explained. NBAA is a key stakeholder in the ATC system, and with its 11,000 member companies delivers a unique perspective on NextGen.

NextGen modernization is producing significant results, already delivering $4.7 billion in benefits to the aviation system, Bolen noted. But, with air traffic controllers projected to handle nearly 16 million more aircraft by 2040, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) capacity forecast to grow significantly in the next five years, Bolen said that there is still much to achieve.