In Alaska, aviation is not a luxury, it’s a way of life. More than 80 percent of Alaska communities are not connected to the road system and for many regions in our state, aviation is the only reliable year-round means of transportation. Alaskans rely on aviation and small aircraft in particular to facilitate commerce by transporting people, goods, and mail over our vast and rugged terrain.

Alaska has six times more pilots and 16 times more planes per capita than the rest of the country. The State of Alaska owns and operates 258 airports and there are hundreds of other municipal and privately owned airstrips across the state. Anchorage is also home to Lake Hood, the busiest seaplane base in the world.

The aviation industry contributes over $3.5 billion to the state’s economy annually, supporting local businesses and employing thousands of Alaskans. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the fifth busiest cargo airport in terms of cargo throughput and is located just nine hours from 90 percent of the industrialized world. Some 40 cargo operators and over 20 passenger airlines call the Alaska Airport System home.

Senator Begich was pleased to bring the FAA Administrator to Alaska in August 2010 to meet with aviation stakeholders from around the state to get a better idea of the importance of aviation in Alaska. Given our state’s unique relationship with aviation, a one-size-fits-all approach to regulation seldom works. That’s why he has opposed the EPA’s proposal to regulate aviation gasoline and fought to repeal regulations banning the transportation of oxygen cylinders on aircraft which are meant for larger passenger jets in the Lower 48.

In an effort to raise awareness about the important role General Aviation (GA) and small aircraft play in our country, in 2009 Senator Begich founded the Senate General Aviation Caucus with Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska. The Senate GA Caucus has grown into one of the largest caucuses in the Senate and currently has 32 senators as members. The Caucus works with senators, staff, industry, and relevant government agencies to ensure a safe and vibrant environment exists for GA in America.

As a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s Aviation Subcommittee, he helped pass S.223, “The FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act.” This bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill will enhance safety, and make needed investment in our airport infrastructure. The Senate FAA bill also accelerates the deployment of NextGen, the comprehensive initiative to modernize the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system from outdated ground-based radar to a more accurate satellite tracking system. NextGen also incorporates other technologies, which will increase efficiency in our skies and provide air traffic controllers and pilots with better communications and awareness of weather and surroundings. The backbone of NextGen modernization is Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), which was first tested and proven in Alaska as part of the Capstone program.

During Senate consideration of this legislation, Senator Begich defended the Essential Air Service program which ensures 44 communities in rural Alaska have a minimal level of scheduled service from a certificated air carrier. Aviation is Alaska’s highway in the sky, and Congress must make sure rural states without an extensive network of road infrastructure have a safe and reliable means of transportation.