Aviation Organizations


1.   The two organizations I chose include the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). The IATA has been around since 1945 and was founded in Havana, Cuba. The NAA has been around since 1905, and according to their website, they were founded prior to the Wright Brothers even going public with their aircraft invention.

2.   The IATA’s vision is “to be the force for value creation and innovation driving a safe, secure and profitable air transport industry that sustainably connects and enriches our world”, with a mission to “represent, lead, and serve the airline industry” (Vision and Mission, 2010). In representing the airline industry, the IATA increases awareness of the benefits of aviation as it relates to air transport for the world economy. They fight for reasonable rules and regulation and will stand up to regulators creating unfair law. In leading the airline industry, the IATA has created standards over the course of 70 years. The overall goal here is to improve efficiency, increase passenger convenience, and to simplify processes the industry uses. In serving the airline industry, they have developed clearly defined rules and provide support to member companies and employees (Vision and Mission, 2010).

Being the oldest national aviation organization in the United States and a non-profit at that, the NAA is “dedicated to the advancement of the art, sport, and science of aviation and space flight by fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and by promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States” (About NAA, 2005). They represent all segments and are the official record-keeper of aviation in the United States. Outside of the United States, they represent worldwide aviation through the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, of which they are the official United States representative. The NAA dedicates awards for those who have demonstrated excellence in the advancement of aviation and promotes the United States in being an aviation leader globally (About NAA, 2005).

3.   It’s important for me to belong to these associations because it displays an outgoing character in the aviation world and one who genuinely is passionate about aviation, which most of us are. However, if one isn’t involved in aviation associations, it’s harder to determine how passionate and committed one really is in this field. In addition, it allows one to have a better understanding of the world of aviation, meet others in the field and share knowledge and experiences, and simply enjoy being a part of a small community of enthusiasts.

4.   In the search for employment opportunities within the IATA, I found over 50 jobs in various locations worldwide. They have mostly full-time positions, but also contract and internship opportunities. Most positions involved some sort of leadership or manager role, such as aviation data managers, analysts, and customer service representatives. For the NAA, I was unable to find any employment opportunities. The only thing found was regarding membership and types, which included: individual, aero club, affiliate, and corporate.



References

About NAA. (2005, February 26). Retrieved March 26, 2018, from https://naa.aero/about
Vision and Mission. (2010, April 1). Retrieved March 26, 2018, from http://www.iata.org/about/Pages/mission.aspx

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 28, 2018 at 11:25 AM

    I wasn't very familiar with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) before reading your post. Very cool that they are the oldest national aviataion organization. I think that's an excellent pick for this assignment as it seems like a well-rounded and driven association of professionals. The networking opportunities that come from membership and engagement with these aviation organizations is invaluable.

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