The FAAC established  subcommittees to develop recommendations in the five areas specified in  the FAAC charter: environment, financing, competitiveness and viability,  labor and workforce, and safety. DOT and FAA officials noted that 3 of the 10 recommendations  we reviewed—sustainable alternative fuels, global competitiveness, and a  harmonized approach to carbon dioxide emission reductions—continue to  be addressed as part of long-term efforts. While  officials stated that DOT and FAA have addressed the other seven  recommendations, they highlighted ongoing work on issues related to  some of these recommendations. FAAC Members Acknowledge DOT’s Actions but Believe That More Work Remains in Responding to the Selected Recommendations

FAAC members acknowledged DOT and FAA efforts to address the 10  recommendations selected for our work; however, a majority of the FAAC  subcommittee members believe more work remains to fully address 9 of  the 10 recommendations. Similar to DOT and FAA officials, FAAC members stated that some  recommendations may not be fully addressed due to the  recommendation’s being linked to ongoing or long-term efforts. DOT officials told us that for ongoing recommendations,  they will continue work on these recommendations and are determining  the extent to which it will continue reporting on the status of the  recommendations. Resource Constraints and Stakeholder Collaboration Were Most Frequently Cited as Implementation Challenges for the Selected Recommendations

Resource constraints and the need to collaborate with multiple  stakeholders were cited most frequently by DOT and FAA officials, as  well as by FAAC members, as implementation challenges. In addition, DOT and FAA officials noted that in  some cases they took actions to address the recommendation, but factors  beyond DOT’s control, such as the need for legislative action, affected  DOT’s ability to fully implement the recommendation. Section 1: Selected FAAC Recommendations and DOT’s and FAA’s Actions to Address Them

This section presents the 10 FAAC recommendations we reviewed and  includes detail on DOT and FAA actions to address the  recommendations, FAAC members’ assessment of DOT and FAA  progress on the recommendations, and challenges in implementing each  recommendation. In its  report, the FAAC stated that the aviation industry has unique fuel  requirements and is well-positioned to be a national and international  leader in the use of sustainable renewable alternative fuels. 2. DOT’s and FAA’s Planned Actions

FAA officials stated that addressing this recommendation is a long-term  effort and noted their ongoing efforts in this area. 5. Support extending the alternative minimum tax exemption for airport  private activity bonds. Promote the global competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry. 23. Appendix II: Future of Aviation Advisory Committee Members

The Department of Transportation (DOT) chartered the Future of Aviation  Advisory Committee (FAAC) on April 16, 2010, to develop a manageable,  actionable list of recommendations for DOT.
Why GAO Did This Study

The aviation industry is important to the U.S. economy and is a critical link in the nation's transportation infrastructure. However, the industry has faced challenges, such as an outdated national air-traffic management system and an increasingly competitive global market. In 2010, in response to these and other challenges, DOT established the FAAC to develop a manageable, actionable list of recommendations for DOT. In April 2011, the FAAC released a report outlining 23 recommendations in five areas: environment, financing, competitiveness and viability, labor and workforce, and safety.
GAO was asked to review the status of DOT's efforts to implement the FAAC recommendations. GAO examined 10 of the FAAC's 23 recommendations to determine (1) DOT's progress in addressing the selected recommendations, and any planned future actions; (2) the FAAC members' perspective on the extent to which DOT's actions address these recommendations; and (3) the challenges, if any, that DOT faces in addressing the recommendations. The 10 selected recommendations covered each of the 5 areas and allowed GAO to leverage ongoing or recent GAO work. GAO did not analyze the validity of the FAAC's recommendations, and our work does not take a position on, or represent an endorsement of, the recommendations. GAO reviewed agency documents and literature, and interviewed FAAC members and DOT and FAA officials. DOT provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate.

What GAO Found

While the Department of Transportation (DOT) is not required to implement the Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) recommendations, DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have taken actions on the 10 FAAC recommendations that GAO reviewed. DOT and FAA officials noted that they continue to work on three recommendations as part of long-term efforts and have ongoing work related to some of the seven recommendations that they believe are addressed.
FAAC members recognized DOT's actions to address the recommendations. However, a majority of the FAAC subcommittee members believe that more work remains to fully address 9 of the 10 recommendations. FAAC members stated that some recommendations may not be fully addressed because they are linked to ongoing efforts that DOT also identified.
DOT, FAA officials, and FAAC members most frequently identified resource constraints and the need to collaborate with multiple stakeholders as implementation challenges and in some cases, noted efforts to address these challenges. DOT officials noted that fully addressing some recommendations may depend on factors outside of DOT's control, such as extending the alternative minimum tax exemption, which would require legislation, and developing sustainable alternative fuels, which is a long-term, multi-agency effort.