GBTA Calls on Congress to Pass FAA Extension Including TSA PreCheck Improvements

Alexandria, VA (July 11, 2016) – Last week, Congress unveiled its plan to fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The bill is a compromise between the House and Senate to avert a shutdown on July 15 and fund the FAA through September 2017. The House and the Senate are expected to vote on the bill before breaking for the political conventions beginning on July 15.
Although GBTA is frustrated with Congress’ inability to pass long-term funding legislation, we are pleased Congress is moving forward with this effort. Air travel is vital to business travel. Corporations send their travelers on more than 40 million trips a month – most of which include air travel. Keeping the FAA running is vital to the U.S. economy.

Included in the bill is language on third party enrollment for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck program that GBTA members lobbied Congress for during its Legislative Symposium and Fly-In this May. Long airport security lines causing unnecessary travel disruptions highlighted the importance of increasing enrollment into the Precheck program. GBTA advocated for language that allows private sector companies to partner with TSA to improve and expand the TSA PreCheck program.

“PreCheck is a winner for passengers, leading to increased traveler satisfaction and overall safety,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “Allowing fully vetted and secure private companies to partner and expand the enrollment of this program will improve air travel safety and increase business travel, which drives the overall economy.”

GBTA research has found travelers in PreCheck are 88 percent more satisfied with their overall trip than others. Another recent study performed by The University of Newcastle in Australia in collaboration with Ohio State University, found with PreCheck security measures in full force, the risk of an air-cabin attack was reduced by 99 percent – a full percentage point greater than when standard TSA security measures are in place.

“GBTA calls on Congress to pass this FAA extension and continue working on a long-term solution for the nation’s air traffic control system,” McCormick added. “Air travel is too important to the nation’s business travelers and our economy to let this wait any longer.”

CONTACT: Colleen Lerro Gallagher, +1 703-236-1133, cgallagher@gbta.org

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, gbta.org