Secretary Ray LaHood 

Future of U.S. Aviation Advisory Committee 

Kickoff Meeting 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 

o 
• Welcome, everyone, to the very 

first meeting of our new advisory 

committee to chart the future of 

aviation policy in the United 

States. 

• I have high hopes, and high 

expectations, for what this 

committee of diverse experts can 

accomplish on behalf of the 

aviation industry, its workforce, 

and consumers. 

1 
• This all got started, you know, 

because of a suggestion from Pat 

Friend, the international president 

of the Association of Flight 

Attendants. 

• Thank you, Pat. But be careful 

what you wish for. You're on the 

committee now, and you have a 

job to do. 

2 
• Today, you begin an important 

conversation about how to ensure 

that aviation in America remains 

vital, competitive, sustainable, and, 

above all, safe. 

• This committee reflects our 

commitment at DOT to provide the 

kind of leadership that will help 

keep this industry healthy and 

moving forward. 

3 
• Last November, at our Future of 

Aviation Forum, we challenged the 

entire aviation community to select 

the top five issues that needed 

immediate attention. 

• And I asked everyone at the forum 

to nominate individuals to serve on 

this new advisory committee. 

4 
• As a result of that process, we now 

have our highly qualified 

committee of 19. 

• It's a cross-section of the entire 

industry, encompassing the 

airlines, transportation unions, 

manufacturing, general aviation, 

academia, finance, and consumer 

groups. 

5 
• Susan Kurland, DOT's Assistant 

Secretary for Aviation and 

International Affairs, is the 

Department's very able 

representative. 

• I want to stress that the issues 

defining this committee's mission 

- and driving its first round of 

deliverables - are not Ray 

LaHood's issues. 

• This isn't the government telling 

you what to do. 

6 
• These are your issues, your 

priorities, your concerns: 

ONE--Ensuring aviation safety, 

TWO--Ensuring a world-class 

aviation workforce, 

THREE--Balancing the industry's 

competitiveness and viability, 

FOUR--Securing stable funding for 

aviation systems, and 

FIVE-- Addressing environmental 

challenges and solutions. 

7 
• As you begin your work, I'm 

charging all of you to keep three 

important goals in mind: 

- First, recommend actions we can 

take now, or in the very near 

future, which will make a real 

difference. 

8 
- Second, bear in mind we have a 

powerful toolbox to work with -

including Federal rule-making, 

proposing legislation to 

Congress, and recommending 

compliance measures for private 

industry. 

- And third, the real strength of this 

committee lies in this diversity. 

So, listen to one another. 

Learn from one another. 

9 
Build new bridges of 

collaboration and cooperation. 

This will spark the kind of insight 

and innovation we need . 

• This is your chance to make a 

meaningful contribution to ensure 

that the industry you love will not 

merely survive, but thrive. 

10 
• For example, on our agenda for the 

next meeting will be a proposed 

rule - which we plan to announce 

next week - that provides 

additional consumer protections 

for air travelers, building on the 

airline consumer rule that took 

effect last month. 

• It will address data reporting and 

contingency plans in the event of 

tarmac delays. 

11 
• It will broaden available consumer 

information. 

• And it will strengthen consumer 

protections in a number of areasexpanding consumer rights in the 

event of over-sales, flight 

cancellations and long delays 

and ensuring that passengers have 

accurate and adequate information 

to make informed decisions when 

selecting flights. 

12 
• We value your input - and hope to 

work together in improving both 

our air transportation system and 

the way travelers interact with it. 

• The bottom line is this: 

The skeptics and cynics will say, 

"This is just another blue-ribbon, 

government committee - all talk 

and no action." 

• But you're going to prove them 

wrong. 

13 
• The aviation industry is at a critical 

crossroads, facing a range of 

complex economic, environmental, 

and technological challenges. 

• Simply put, we need your 

experience and expertise to solve 

them. 

14 
• I have every confidence in your 

ability to come up with serious, 

actionable recommendations that 

are the basis for meaningful 

changes that we, or Congress, or 

other stakeholders, can act on 

sooner rather than later. 

• You're the leaders of this industry. 

You can make it happen. 

15 
• Thank you in advance for all your 

hard work. I wish you much 

success. 

• And I look forward to the results 

you produce for this industry and 

the traveling public. 

• It's now my pleasure to introduce 

our FAA Administrator, Randy 

Babbitt. 

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