Issue / Aviation
The aviation industry plays a critical role in the American economy, and this group recognizes its vast importance. The aviation sector transports 900 million passengers every year and is responsible for $1.5 trillion in total economic activity, nearly 12 million jobs, and represents 5.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Moreover, the industry’s $83 billion trade surplus is the largest trade surplus within the U.S. economy. Tying this all together is a complex infrastructure network of airports and air traffic control operated by, among many others, millions of highly skilled pilots, mechanics and other technicians, and air traffic controllers. The tremendous collaborative effort of industry and government over the decades, translated into the safest airspace in the world. But, while the U.S. had long been considered the gold standard in aviation technology and safety, America has begun to lose its edge and is falling behind its peers. Today, congestion and delays plague U.S. airports while high-altitude traffic is guided by inefficient and old point-to-point, ground-based radar technology; qualified workers needed to meet the global demands for air travel in the next 30 years have grown increasingly scarce; and new technologies are challenging airline safety and security.
Final FY20 Appropriations Agreement Reached
Dec 13, 2019 | Jeff DavisYesterday, the chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees announced that they had reached a final agreement on the...
Senate Committee Approves Several Aviation Bills
Dec 13, 2019 | Jeff DavisThe Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on December 11 approved five aviation-related pieces of legislation. War...
Capitol Hill Events – Week of December 15, 2019
Dec 13, 2019 | Jeff DavisMonday, December 15 – House Rules – full committee hearing to set rules for debate on the SALT tax deduction restoration bill and...
House Hearing Cites Faulty FAA Risk Calculations on 737 MAX
Dec 13, 2019 | Jeff DavisAnother hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week looked more deeply at decisions made by the...
Flying with Drone Regulations
Dec 12, 2019 | Ken DunlapAs the Eno Center for Transportation assesses the challenges of safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the airspace of...
GAO Issues New Reports on Essential Air Service, Airline Oversales
Dec 12, 2019 | Jeff DavisThe FAA reauthorization law enacted on October 5, 2018 mandated, by our count, 119 new studies or reports to be submitted to Congress,...
DOT Releases Updated Highway-Transit-Freight Conditions and Performance Report
Dec 11, 2019 | Jeff DavisA long-awaited new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation was quietly released last week (two years late) and indicates that...
Final Defense Bill Bans New Purchases of Mass Transit Vehicles from Chinese Companies – After 2-Year Delay
Dec 09, 2019 | Jeff DavisAfter weeks of delay, Congressional negotiators at 9:30 p.m. released the text of the final House-Senate conference agreement on the...
The Gas Tax Versus Inflation – Two Measures
Dec 09, 2019 | Jeff DavisHow much buying power has the federal gasoline tax lost over the years, and how have consumers felt past gasoline taxes in their daily...
Business groups that helped win Metro funding launch campaign to improve region’s bus service
Dec 09, 2019 | Robert PuentesRobert Puentes discusses how private-sector pressure was needed to achieve the D.C. metro's new funding goals.
FY20 Appropriations Negotiations at Critical Point
Dec 06, 2019 | Jeff DavisCongressional appropriators have reached tentative agreement on the funding-related issues of the fiscal year 2020 Transportation-HUD...
Building Environmental Collaborations While Funding Highways: An Innovation in Transportation Governance
Dec 06, 2019 | Martin WachsTransportation agencies have been trying for generations to fulfill their missions while doing as little environmental harm as...
Eno’s Aviation Working Group is a standing advisory group on all matters relating to aviation policy. The group provides Eno staff with insights, knowledge, feedback, and guidance on how to approach some of the most challenging contemporary aviation issues. The goal of the group is to
(1) educate the public at large as well as policy makers as to the importance of the aviation industry to the U.S. economy;
(2) identify the roadblocks to progress, innovation, and modernization; and
(3) propose bold, pragmatic policy solutions to help tackle those challenges.
Focus Areas for Current Work:
UAS Integration: Research alternatives for certifying and integrating unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace system and craft clear and actionable policy recommendations for a path forward
Workforce: Identify causes and solutions for workforce shortages across the industry to provide actionable recommendations for leaders
Policy Analysis: Provide analysis and recommendations to inform federal aviation policy related to funding and finance issues, air traffic control reform, and certification.
Member Organizations:
- Airlines for America
- Air Line Pilots Association
- Airport Minority Advisory Council
- American Airlines
- Association of Equipment Manufacturers
- International Air Transport Association
- Japan International Transport Institute, USA (JITI)
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce