General aviation contributed more than $150 billion to the US economy last year and directly and indirectly employed more than 1,265,000 people, whose collective earnings exceeded $53 billion, says a study commissioned jointly by the US General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Association of State Aviation Officials.
Testifying at a hearing last week before the Aerospace States Association on the National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy, Jack Pelton, GAMA chairman and Cessna chairman, president and chief executive, said: “Because of the diverse nature of general aviation, its significant impact upon the economy is often overlooked or intermixed with other segments of transport, masking GA’s own unique contribution.”
GAMA says the study “quantifies what is at stake in the upcoming user fee debate. If the airlines are successful in shedding their own costs of an air transportation system that is built for them onto GA, a significant negative impact will be felt by many more than just GA operators.”
Source: Flight International
