Allows NBAA Members To Express Their Views To Legislators Through Tables And Smartphones

The NBAA has unveiled a new and improved online Contact Congress resource that makes it simple for tablet and smartphone users to make their voices heard with elected officials on the business aviation community’s most pressing legislative concerns.

“We know that NBAA’s efforts to represent the industry in Washington, DC are most effective when people in business aviation echo the association’s message with their representatives, and Contact Congress has always been a key advocacy tool for doing so,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Recent developments in Washington make clear that it is as important as ever that our industry be ready to mobilize on key issues, and our enhanced Contact Congress tool makes it easier than ever to do.”

“We think making Contact Congress more mobile-friendly is very timely, given that people in our industry are often on the go,” continued Bolen. In recent years, an increasing amount of traffic to NBAA’s website at www.nbaa.org has come from mobile devices.

Bolen announced the launch of the mobile-friendly Contact Congress resource at the NBAA/GAMA No Plane No Gain Media Kickoff Breakfast held Nov. 17, during the association’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015).

During the media event, Bolen reiterated his continued concern over recent proposals for creating a privatized ATC system funded by user fees, as part of the ongoing congressional debate over reauthorization of the FAA.

“The potentially dire consequences of privatizing ATC and funding it with user fees cannot be overstated,” Bolen said. “In such systems, sweeping authority is handed over to the major airlines, which then govern those systems in their own best business interests. The people and companies that rely on general aviation in small and mid-size towns are left behind.

“We can’t let that happen, and we need to ensure Congress gets that message. With our updated Contact Congress resource, people will be able to easily make their voices heard anytime, anywhere, on any hand-held device.”

Contact Congress has long been effective in mobilizing large numbers of industry professionals in policy battles. For example, earlier this year, not long after Bolen spoke before the Senate Commerce Committee against a privatized ATC system funded by user fees, NBAA sounded a call to action, asking people in the industry to contact Congress about the issue. Within hours, thousands of people used NBAA’s online Contact Congress resource to do just that.

(Source: NBAA news release)

FMI: www.nbaa.org/action