I am writing today to
urge your consideration and support of the fuel tax abatement proposed by
the Air Transport Association and its supporters.
The tragic events of September 11
have thrust American Airlines and the rest of the airline industry into a
financial crisis the likes of which we have never seen in our long and
proud history. Dealing with this crisis to ensure American's
survival has required a number of very difficult and painful
decisions. The most difficult of all has been the need to reduce our
workforce across the system, including here in Florida.
The stark reality is that American
Airlines is a company in crisis in an industry in crisis. Our
recovery will be slow and it will not be accomplished with the federal
government assistance we have received or with any of the painful steps we
have taken thus far. In fact, the $900 million we will receive from
the federal government will not offset the $1 billion in cash that
American spent in September alone.
Job reductions are not the only
substantive steps American has taken to address the current crisis.
We have reduced our schedule by 20%, accelerated the retirement of older,
lee efficient aircraft and deferred delivery of new aircraft, sharply
reducing capital spending. Operating costs were further cut by
closing facilities, trimming food service and aggressively reducing
overhead.
We are committed to winning back our
customers which in the end will be the key to resolving our financial
challenges.
We are also committed to rebuilding
our operations in Miami and throughout Florida. In the event the
18-month abatement of the aviation fuel tax is approved, let me assure you
that it is our goal to restore our Florida flight schedule to its pre-September
11 level.
These are extraordinary challenging
times for American and the rest of the industry but we are resolute in our
determination to rebuild our operations as quickly as possible. We
need your support.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Dolara
516 North Adams Street ● Post Office Box 784 ● Tallahassee, Florida 32302-0784 ● Phone: (850) 224-7173 ● Fax: (850) 224-6532 ● www.aif.com
