Applauds Inclusion Of NextGen Technology As Infrastructure

In a statement released Tuesday, AIA says it strongly supports President Obama's proposals for what he terms  "investment" in our nation's transportation infrastructure, particularly the effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control system (NextGen). "We are very pleased to see the recognition that our national airspace system cannot be transformed by focusing on runways alone," said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. "NextGen is the future of a safer, cleaner, quieter aviation system and its implementation requires attention to both ground and airborne infrastructure."

Civil aviation has an incredible capacity to spur economic investment. Various economic analyses show that federal investment in NextGen airborne infrastructure has the potential to create more than 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the near term. "AIA has long championed the inclusion of NextGen acceleration in any economic stimulus package because of the strong five-to-one stimulative effect of civil aviation investment," Blakey said. "Transportation infrastructure spending that doesn't include recapitalization of our Eisenhower-era aviation system won't address the issue efficiently or effectively."

Marion Blakey

AIA says Transportation Secretary LaHood's Future of Aviation Advisory Committee is asking the right questions and its recommendations should help inform how the president's infrastructure bank spends money on our nation's aviation infrastructure. The organization says it looks forward to working with the administration to identify which aviation infrastructure investments bring the most immediate economic benefit to the traveling public and all Americans.

FMI: www.aia-aerospace.org