Greg Principato, ACI-NA President, and Jim Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters agree: it’s time to pass FAA reauthorization.
In a joint letter published in the “Departures” column of the March 1 issue of Aviation Daily, Greg and Jim stressed the significant impacts that a long-term FAA reauthorization bill would have on the economy. “Over the longer term, FAA reauthorization would create conditions for the next wave of economic growth. In the short term, the bill will immediately create good construction and technology jobs, giving local economies the jumpstart they need.”
The job pool in the U.S. airline industry has been shrinking steadily for a year and a half. In December, scheduled passenger airlines had 3.3% fewer workers than they did a year ago. It was the 18th consecutive month in which employment dropped from the previous year.
This concerns the Teamsters Union, as it has contracts that cover more than 64,000 airline employees. It’s also a big concern for ACI-NA. Airports are experiencing layoffs and furloughs. In the past year, 35 airports lost all service and almost 300 more are down to only one carrier.
“Both of us fear that much more will be lost if Congress doesn’t quickly summon the will to tackle the problems faced by our aviation system. It is important to remember this is a jobs generator that is already on the congressional “to do” list.”
Click here to view the letter published in Aviation Daily (paid subscription required).