The business aviation community’s sustainability leadership was front and center during a third annual Capitol Hill fly-in that mobilized an energized group of nearly 70 young industry professionals from across the country for meetings with lawmakers to highlight the industry’s many societal benefits.
This year’s fly-in, organized by the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) Young Professionals (YoPro) in Business Aviation Council, was the first to include the message from the new CLIMBING. FAST. advocacy initiative, focused on the sector’s innovation to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The CLIMBING. FAST. program underscores business aviation’s commitment to connecting the world in a sustainable manner, and we welcomed the opportunity the fly-in provided to convey that message with a bipartisan group of congressional representatives,” said YoPro Council Co-Chair Jamie Munoz, general manager of Galaxy FBO in Addison, TX.
Julia Harrington, incoming YoPro council co-chair and lead captain for Axis Jet in Chicago agreed, adding: “Sustainability is incredibly important to young people, and it is central to the industry’s future. It is clearly a message that resonates with Capitol Hill lawmakers and their staff.”
In carrying the CLIMBING. FAST. banner, the YoPro delegation focused not only on the industry’s comprehensive effort to achieve its net-zero aims, but also its vital role in supporting 1.2 million American jobs and $246 billion in economic output; connecting communities in states and congressional districts; its role in helping small and mid-size businesses succeed in a global marketplace and its critical ability to provide humanitarian lift in times of crisis.
“These industry professionals bring a unique and powerful voice to our advocacy efforts in Washington,” said NBAA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Kristie Greco Johnson. “The participants in the fly-in are more than leaders in our industry – they are ambassadors and highly effective champions for the priorities of business aviation, including aviation sustainability. We commend them for their participation in this year’s fly-in, and look forward to working with them on future advocacy initiatives.”
YoPros met with the following Members of Congress or their staff: Rep. Don Beyer, Jr. (D-08-VA), Rep. Julia Brownley (D-26-CA), Sen. Tedd Budd (R-NC), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-02-TN), Rep. Michael Burgess (R-26-TX), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Rep. Jerry Carl (R-01-AL), Rep. Sean Casten (D-06-IL), Rep. Tom Cole (R-04-OK), Rep. Ron Estes (R-04-KS), Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-04-IA), Rep. Mike Flood (R-01-NE), Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-10-FL), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-06-LA), T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-06-MO), Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-4-MI), T&I Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-02-WA), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-01-SC), Rep. Joe Neguse (D-02-CO), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-At Large-DC), Rep. Bill Posey (R-08-FL) and Rep. Keith Self (R-03-TX). The fly-in also included meetings with staff from the T&I Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
