NATA President James K. Coyne is reportedly QUITE pleased with the resounding success of this week's Aviation Business Roundtable that concluded Friday, at noon. The two-day meeting is the first of its kind to assemble top business leaders from all aspects of this country's aviation industry to meet with key Federal and Congressional officials in Washington, D.C. Attendees included chief executives from airline service providers, manufacturers, charter operators, fixed base operators, flight training facilities, and fractional aircraft ownership organizations.

The event highlighted meetings with a host of top senior Bush Administration officials and included a reception with Vice President Richard B. Cheney and Mrs. Cheney at the Vice President's residence on Massachusetts Avenue.

Other high profile attendees included:

• Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta
• Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson
• Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary David M. Stone
• National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Ellen Engleman Conners
• U.S. Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Trent Lot
• U.S. Senate Interior Appropriation Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns
• U.S. House of Representatives Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica
• U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers
• U.S. House of Representatives Transportation, Treasury & Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Vice-Chairman Todd Tiahrt
• U.S. House of Representatives Aviation Subcommittee Member Stephen Pearce

The Aviation Business Roundtable was created to establish an entirely new relationship between government and aviation businesses, one that recognizes the critical role NATA member companies will play in redefining air transportation in the 21st century.

"I could not be happier with the efforts of the group that assembled here this week in Washington," Coyne stated. "These attendees were the best of the best and were able to demonstrate to Vice President Cheney, Secretary Mineta, Under Secretary Hutchinson and the rest of our outstanding group of speakers what the aviation business segment of our industry has to offer to the American public now and in the future."

The group also considered and adopted a number of white papers on pressing matters affecting attendees that the association will now act upon in the upcoming 109th Congress.

The topics for these white papers included:

• Promoting aviation in the United States
• Airports providing aviation services
• Ensuring that Part 135 and 91 operators have access to America's airspace and airports.

"The attendees were successful not only in demonstrating the impact that this segment of the aviation industry has on the nation's economy but also that there still is a bright future for our nation's air transportation system," Coyne concluded.

FMI: www.nata-online.org