LaHood, Babbitt To Hear Committee's Recommendations

The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) will present its recommendations to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at its final meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at DOT headquarters in Washington, DC. The meeting will begin at 0930 EST, with discussions by FAAC's subcommittees and adoption of the recommendations by the full committee. The full committee will then issue its recommendations to the Secretary at approximately 1330. Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt will participate in the meeting's afternoon sessions, during which they will receive the committee's recommendations.
     
The FAAC was created in April to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation on challenges facing the aviation industry. The recommendations will focus principally on five issue areas:  ensuring aviation safety, ensuring a world-class aviation workforce, balancing the industry's competitiveness and viability, securing stable funding for aviation systems, and addressing environmental challenges.

The committee's focus has been principally on five issue areas:  ensuring aviation safety, ensuring a world-class aviation workforce, balancing the industry’s competitiveness and viability, securing stable funding for aviation systems, and addressing environmental challenges and solutions.

The advisory committee grew out of a forum last year hosted by Secretary LaHood on the future of the U.S. aviation industry, during which he urged attendees to nominate potential committee members. The members selected represent airlines, airports, labor, manufacturers, environment, finance, academia, consumer interests, and general aviation stakeholders. The committee will meet at least four times over the next year, after which it will issue its recommendations to the Secretary.

“Aviation is essential to our nation’s economy and our ability to compete in international commerce,” Secretary LaHood said in forming the committee earlier this year. “This committee, which represents a broad cross-section of the aviation community, will begin the important conversation about how to ensure the industry remains vital and competitive.”

The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee was established to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary on ensuring the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry and its capability to address the evolving transportation needs, challenges and opportunities of the U.S. and global economy.

FMI: www.dot.gov/faac, www.faa.gov