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NBAA Joins Modern Skies Coalition in Support of DOT’s ATC-Modernization Plan

     Washington, DC, May 8, 2025 – Today, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) joined more than 50 other industry groups to express strong support for Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy’s proposal for a comprehensive upgrade of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system, which serves approximately 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers every day.

“Secretary Duffy’s plan cements America as a global leader in aviation, investing in both technology and the air traffic control workforce to enhance U.S. aviation safety and reliability,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said in remarks delivered at an event held in Washington, DC, to unveil the DOT plan. “The swift implementation of these updates is not just important, it’s imperative. We commend the Secretary for his focus on speed, efficiency, and safety and we fully support his call for Congress to provide the necessary funding.”

Importantly, a central focus of Secretary Duffy’s plan to modernize the ATC system focuses on implementing needed technological upgrades, enhancing connectivity and ensuring U.S. infrastructure can adapt to evolving technologies and increasing air traffic. Additionally, Secretary Duffy’s focus on accelerating the recruitment and training of air traffic controllers, which is part of his supercharge program announced in February, is a crucial step in addressing a longstanding workforce shortage.

In supporting Secretary Duffy’s plan, NBAA has joined the Modern Skies Coalition, (modernskies.com), a new group comprised of more than 50 industry organizations supporting the Administration’s plans to upgrade aviation safety and maintain America’s position as the global leader.

“We are deeply appreciative that Secretary Duffy has made our nation’s air traffic control system a priority and look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to bring this vision to fruition,” the coalition said.

The coalition applauded the Administration’s budget request of $4 billion for FAA’s technology and Facilities and Equipment (F&E), which is higher than ever before. The coalition also expressed appreciation for the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Sam Graves (R-6-MO), for taking a first step and moving $12.5 billion of ATC modernization funding through his committee.

At the same time, the group called for continued sufficient budget requests and an immediate robust infusion of resources to address soaring operational demands and enhance safety measures. “We believe a minimum of $18.5 billion in additional emergency funding should be appropriated over the next three years above the FAA’s annual F&E budget,” the coalition said in its statement.

Read the full Modern Skies Coalition statement here.

“The future of air travel in the U.S. depends on a robust and resilient air traffic control system,” Bolen concluded. “NBAA recognizes that maintaining safety and improving efficiency requires collaboration and investment from all stakeholders involved, and we stand ready to assist Secretary Duffy and the Administration in driving these essential changes.”

View a video of Ed Bolen's remarks from the event introducing the DOT's plan.

Review the full version of Ed Bolen’s prepared remarks for the event introducing the DOT’s plan.

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NBAA Regional Update - May 2025

From Kristi Ivey,

NBAA Regional Director - Northern Mountain Region

Hello!  If you don't know me, I am YOUR NBAA Regional Director covering Minnesota.  In this role, I am privileged to serve as a resource to connect our members with information, industry experts, and tools needed to help make your businesses more efficient, productive and successful.

Like many of you, I'm noticing how YOUR grassroots BizAv organization, MBAA, is working hard in 2025 to advocate for our industry, strengthen partnerships with fellow aviation stakeholders across the state, provide opportunities for individuals in various roles within our industry to learn and grow through educational opportunities, share best practices and network with each other, and reinforce our collective commitment to safe and secure operations. We at NBAA are truly grateful for MBAA's leadership and members for keeping us informed of your priorities so that we can provide the best resources for our members and advocate for you at the national level.

We know a lot of information comes your way from NBAA and other sources, but I'd like to use this space to make sure you're aware of some key NBAA resources and recent news items that may be relevant to you:  

• MAY is Membership Month at NBAA - which includes an opportunity for you to share YOUR story and how NBAA is and can be more valuable to you.  
• The MAY/JUNE NBAA Business Aviation Insider is out with the theme of SAFETY, including great articles on learning from mistakes, setting personal minimums, lifesaving fire tips, and more.  
• Anyone can subscribe to the NBAA Insider Daily – a weekday-morning email news service showcasing the latest news from across our industry from a variety of news sources.  
• NBAA's Maintenance Committee developed a new NBAA Aircraft Onboarding Checklist.  
• NBAA Joins Coalition Supporting House ATC-Modernization Plan
• NBAA Issues Call to Action: Urge FAA to Move on Planned Aircraft-Ownership Security Protections

Feel free to reach out to me at kivey@nbaa.org with any questions.  I look forward to connecting with you soon!  

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MBAA and NBAA collaborate to send a letter to

Minnesotan House and Senate Tax Committees,

supporting the extension of the SAF Tax Credit.

April 14th, 2025

The SAF credit (HF1669 / SF 1312) is expected to be part of the Tax Omnibus Bill. 

Read the letters as sent to Representative Greg Davids, Representative Aisha Gomez, Senator Ann Rest, Senator Matt Klein, and Senator Bill Weber 

MN Letter in Support of State SAF Tax Credits - House Version.pdf

MN Letter in Support of Sate SAF Tax Credits - Senate Version.pdf

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"Duluth airport contributes $1.4 billion

to local economy"

- Duluth News Tribune, 3/20/2025. Peter Passi

Mayor Roger Reinert described the city’s aviation sector as a “critical economic engine for our region” Wednesday as the Duluth Airport Authority revealed the findings of a recently completed economic impact study.

Duluth International Airport pumped an estimated $1.4 billion into the local economy in 2024, according to an analysis by the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The airport, combined with its tenants and users, joined forces to directly provide more than 3,000 jobs, plus another 943 in supporting industries last year, researchers found.

Read more

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"General Aviation Provides Robust Contribution to US Economy"

 Study Reveals General Aviation Supports Over 1.3 Million Jobs and $339 Billion in Economic Output

Feb 2025

NBAA Press Release

Read the full study by PwC, as supported by GAMA, EAA, AOPA, NBAA, NATA,  NASAO, and Vertical Aviation International (formerly HAI):

Contribution-General-Aviation-US-Economy-in-2023-202502.pdf