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| IAM President Tom Buffenbarger called for strong support of North America’s business jet industry during his testimony before the International Trade Commission in Washington, DC. |
IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger called for an end to mischaracterizations of the U.S. business jet industry during testimony before the International Trade Commission in Washington, DC. America’s business jet industry contributes more than $150 billion to the U.S. economy and employs more than 1.2 million people.
“The fact that corporate jets are abused by some unscrupulous individuals says everything about today’s lax corporate ethical standards and obscene benefit packages and nothing about the importance of the business jet industry to our present and future economy,” said Buffenbarger. “We urgently need our government to take a leadership role in recognizing the importance of this industry and the jobs it provides to our nation’s economy.”
Buffenbarger also called for incentives and financing for commercial aerospace ventures that includes a requirement for recipients to manufacture, assemble and service business jets here in the U.S.
“The business jet industry’s impact on our nation’s economy goes far beyond the U.S. aviation industry,” said Buffenbarger. “It is responsible for the development of leading-edge technological innovations that lead to other industries such as those concerning avionics, composites, electronics, microwaves, etc.”
Noting the aggressive and government-supported development of commercial aerospace industries in China and elsewhere, Buffenbarger urged the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate whether such countries are unfairly subsidizing the development of their aerospace industry.
