business-aviation-fact-book-2014

Business Aviation: Just the Facts
» Business aviation contributes $150 billion to U.S.
economic output and employs more than 1.2 million
people. General aviation activities – including sales
of new and previously owned airplanes, as well as
maintenance and other operational support – generates
substantial financial benefits for every state in the
nation.
» The vast majority of GA aircraft used for business
purposes worldwide are manufactured, operated,
serviced and maintained in the U.S. Even the relatively
small numbers of airplanes that are manufactured
outside the U.S. often are “completed” (outfitted) in the
U.S. with American-made avionics, electronics, systems,
engines, paint, interiors and other aircraft components.
» Business aviation operations are a source of good jobs.
Flights made by business airplanes require support.
Tens of thousands of pilots, maintenance technicians,
schedulers, dispatchers, flight attendants, training
professionals, airport employees and other support
personnel are employed in business aviation.
» Companies that utilize business aircraft outperform nonaviation
users in several important financial measures,
including annual earnings growth, stock and dividend
growth, total share price, market capitalization and other
financial yardsticks.
» Only about 3 percent of the approximately 15,000 business
aircraft registered in the U.S. are flown by Fortune
500 companies, while the remaining 97 percent are operated
by a broad cross-section of organizations, including
governments, universities, charitable organizations and
businesses – large, medium and small.
» Business aviation reaches 10 times the number of U.S.
airports (over 5,000 public-use facilities) than the airlines
do. The majority of U.S. airline flights only go to and
from 70 major airports, and the total number of U.S.
destinations served by air carriers has declined.
» Business aircraft flights account for just 4 percent of the
total traffic at the busiest airports used by the commercial
airlines.
» Business aircraft have a safety record that is comparable
to that of the major airlines.
» Business aviation enables companies to safely transport
tools and materials that cannot be carried aboard
airlines.
» Since 9/11, the industry has partnered with government
officials to craft and implement enhanced security
requirements and best practices that reduce business
aviation’s vulnerability to terrorist threats.
» Business aviation has a small carbon footprint and an
exemplary environmental record. Aviation emissions are
only a tiny fraction of all transportation emissions, and
business aircraft emissions are a small portion of those.
The industry has a long history of continually leveraging
technology to minimize noise and emissions, while
improving safety and efficiency.