COVID–19’S EFFECTS ON U.S. AVIATION AND THE FLIGHTPATH TO RECOVERY (117–5) REMOTE HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 2, 2021 Printed for the use of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ( Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-transportation?path=/ browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/transportation U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 44–274 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021 VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:22 Apr 28, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 P:\HEARINGS\117\AV\3-2-20~1\TRANSC~1\44274.TXT JEAN TRANSPC154 with DISTILLER COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon, Chair ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, SAM GRAVES, Missouri District of Columbia DON YOUNG, Alaska EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas ERIC A. ‘‘RICK’’ CRAWFORD, Arkansas RICK LARSEN, Washington BOB GIBBS, Ohio GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida STEVE COHEN, Tennessee THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania JOHN GARAMENDI, California RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR., Georgia JOHN KATKO, New York ANDRE´ CARSON, Indiana BRIAN BABIN, Texas DINA TITUS, Nevada GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina JARED HUFFMAN, California MIKE BOST, Illinois JULIA BROWNLEY, California RANDY K. WEBER, SR., Texas FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida DOUG LAMALFA, California DONALD M. PAYNE, JR., New Jersey BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California BRIAN J. MAST, Florida MARK DESAULNIER, California MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California JENNIFFER GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N, ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland Puerto Rico TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey TROY BALDERSON, Ohio GREG STANTON, Arizona PETE STAUBER, Minnesota COLIN Z. ALLRED, Texas TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas, Vice Chair DUSTY JOHNSON, South Dakota JESU´ S G. ‘‘CHUY’’ GARCI´A, Illinois JEFFERSON VAN DREW, New Jersey ANTONIO DELGADO, New York MICHAEL GUEST, Mississippi CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire TROY E. NEHLS, Texas CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania NANCY MACE, South Carolina SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, New York JAKE AUCHINCLOSS, Massachusetts BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, Georgia CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida KAIALI‘I KAHELE, Hawaii MICHELLE STEEL, California MARILYN STRICKLAND, Washington NIKEMA WILLIAMS, Georgia MARIE NEWMAN, Illinois VACANCY (ii) VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:22 Apr 28, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 P:\HEARINGS\117\AV\3-2-20~1\TRANSC~1\44274.TXT JEAN TRANSPC154 with DISTILLER SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION RICK LARSEN, Washington, Chair STEVE COHEN, Tennessee GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana ANDRE´ CARSON, Indiana DON YOUNG, Alaska SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky KAIALI‘I KAHELE, Hawaii SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania NIKEMA WILLIAMS, Georgia JOHN KATKO, New York HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR., Georgia BRIAN J. MAST, Florida DINA TITUS, Nevada MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania JULIA BROWNLEY, California TROY BALDERSON, Ohio DONALD M. PAYNE, JR., New Jersey PETE STAUBER, Minnesota MARK DESAULNIER, California TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts JEFFERSON VAN DREW, New Jersey ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland TROY E. NEHLS, Texas GREG STANTON, Arizona NANCY MACE, South Carolina COLIN Z. ALLRED, Texas BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, MICHELLE STEEL, California District of Columbia SAM GRAVES, Missouri (Ex Officio) EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas JOHN GARAMENDI, California PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon (Ex Officio) (iii) VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:22 Apr 28, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 P:\HEARINGS\117\AV\3-2-20~1\TRANSC~1\44274.TXT JEAN TRANSPC154 with DISTILLER VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:22 Apr 28, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 P:\HEARINGS\117\AV\3-2-20~1\TRANSC~1\44274.TXT JEAN TRANSPC154 with DISTILLER CONTENTS Page Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... vii STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Wash- ington, and Chair, Subcommittee on Aviation: Opening statement ........................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 3 Hon. Garret Graves, a Representative in Congress from the State of Lou- isiana, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Aviation: Opening statement ........................................................................................... 5 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, a Representative in Congress from the State of Or- egon, and Chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Opening statement ........................................................................................... 7 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 8 Hon. Sam Graves, a Representative in Congress from the State of Missouri, and Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 93 Hon. Steve Cohen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Tennessee, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 93 Hon. Michelle Steel, a Representative in Congress from the State of Cali- fornia, prepared statement .................................................................................. 94 WITNESSES Heather Krause, Director, Physical Infrastructure, U.S. Government Account- ability Office: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 10 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 11 Nicholas E. Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Airlines for Amer- ica: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 18 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 20 Captain Joseph G. DePete, President, Air Line Pilots Association, Inter- national: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 26 Peter J. Bunce, President and Chief Executive Officer, General Aviation Man- ufacturers Association: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 31 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 32 Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, on behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 37 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 39 Edward M. Bolen, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Business Aviation Association: Oral statement .................................................................................................. 48 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 49 (v) VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:22 Apr 28, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 P:\HEARINGS\117\AV\3-2-20~1\TRANSC~1\44274.TXT JEAN TRANSPC154 with DISTILLER vi Page SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Submissions for the Record by Hon. Garret Graves of Louisiana: Letter of June 2, 2020, to the U.S. Government Accountability Office from Ranking Members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Aviation ................................... 57 Statement of the American Car Rental Association ...................................... 58 Submissions for the Record by Hon. Rick Larsen: Statement of Faye Malarkey Black, President and CEO, Regional Airline Association ..................................................................................................... 94 Statement of the Travel Management Coalition ............................................ 100 Letter of March 2, 2021, from Scott Kirby, Chief Executive Officer, United Airlines .............................................................................................. 101 APPENDIX Questions to Heather Krause, Director, Physical Infrastructure, U.S. Govern- ment Accountability Office, from: Hon. Garret Graves .......................................................................................... 103 Hon. Mike Gallagher ........................................................................................ 106 Questions to Nicholas E. Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Air- lines for America, from: Hon. Steve Cohen ............................................................................................