AIA Advocates Increased Investment in NextGen at House Aviation Subcommittee Hearing

ARLINGTON, Va., March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congress must invest in a full slate of NextGen air transportation modernization technologies today in order to realize the benefits the program can provide in the near-term, AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey said Wednesday.

"The benefits of NextGen are closer than most think," Blakey said in testimony before the House Aviation Subcommittee. "I spend a lot of time advocating for NextGen. People are always surprised when I tell them that NextGen implementation has already begun, with 11 ADS-B ground stations installed, commissioned and in-use in South Florida."

All 793 stations are on schedule to be installed across the country by 2013. While aircraft are not required to be equipped with ADS-B avionics until 2020, Congress could provide incentives for users to install the equipment before that deadline. This would allow users to take early advantage of the benefits of NextGen.

Blakey spoke during a hearing on air traffic control modernization and near-term achievable goals before the House Aviation Subcommittee. She detailed NextGen benefits including:

• Improving aviation's environmental impact by cutting fuel burn and emissions by as much as 15 percent when NextGen is fully implemented.

• Enhancing safety by improving situational awareness, allowing pilots to detect and avoid other aircraft both in the air and on the ground.

• Increasing air travel efficiency by reducing flight times, delays and inconveniences to passengers.

Full text of Blakey's remarks can be found on the AIA Web site at www.aia-aerospace.org.

Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial systems, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.