January 21, 2015

Manchin Boozman to Co-Chair Senate General Aviation Caucus

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced that he is pleased to co-chair the bipartisan Senate General Aviation (GA) Caucus in the 114th Congress.

Along with Arkansas Senator John Boozman, Senator Manchin will be responsible for informing Senate colleagues about GA’s crucial contributions to the nation’s economy and transportation system. Senators Manchin and Boozman will soon work together to recruit members to the caucus.

“General aviation makes a tremendous impact on West Virginia’s economy and on our nation as a whole,” Senator Manchin said. “The Mountain State’s aviation system alone supports more than 11,000 jobs in the state, and contributes about $616 million to our economy. As a pilot myself, it has always been a top priority of mine to address the unique challenges faced by the general aviation sector, and to foster business growth and job creation through this growing industry. It is a privilege to join Senator Boozman as a leader of the General Aviation Caucus, and I look forward to promoting the importance of general aviation in the 114th Congress.”

Senator Boozman echoed Senator Manchin’s enthusiasm: “In Arkansas, general aviation airports support more than $500 million annually in economic activity, and nearly 10,000 Arkansans work in aviation and aerospace manufacturing  … If you crunch the numbers, most of our colleagues would have a similar story to tell.” He is excited to share this important responsibility with Senator Manchin.

General Aviation plays a vital role in the nation’s transportation system, accumulating more than $150 billion in annual revenue, sustaining 1.3 million jobs and overseeing 5,000 airports nationally. GA is defined as all non-military aviation, excluding scheduled passenger airlines.

GA aircraft provide crucial services such as package delivery, emergency medical evacuation, agricultural aviation, and more. The GA Caucus was created in 2009 out of the necessity to highlight the importance of aviation in everyday life.

To learn more about the General Aviation Caucus, please visit http://www.nbaa.org/advocacy/ga-caucus/.


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