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Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association strongly supports the Next Generation Air Transportation System Integrated Plan released today and will work with government and industry members to see it to fruition, AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass said.

The plan, crafted by the Joint Planning and Development Office under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, not only documents the looming crisis due to the limitations of our current air traffic system, but provides a clear path forward toward dealing with future growth and the congestion and delays that go along with it, Douglass said.

“We must move vigorously to build this new system,’’ Douglass said. “I’m encouraged by the administration’s willingness to work with industry to make these vital improvements.’’

With the release of this report, under the leadership of Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, the administration is well positioned to realize a key objective of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry.

Douglass said AIA, together with industry partners, is working to quickly rally a consensus on exactly how to make the transformation to the new system, including marshalling the needed systems engineering and integration resources. Officials can hold costs to a minimum by using technology developed by the Defense Department and NASA, Douglass said, and it is well worth the investment when taken in context of the impact of aviation on our economy.

Only by developing a strong public-private partnership and mobilizing industry resources can we avert the pending crisis documented in the plan, Douglass said.

--AIA--

Visit AIA’s homepage at www.aia-aerospace.org
P.A. Rel. 2004-41
12.15.04

Contact: Matt Grimison, AIA
(703) 358-1076
matt.grimison@aia-aerospace.org