The advent of very light and advanced technology aircraft is not only spawning new business models but at least two new organizations to represent them. The Air Taxi Association (ATXA) was founded in 2007 to promote market development and The Personal Air Transportation Alliance (PATA) formed in 2004 with a mission to “mission identify, articulate and promote those innovations in concepts, technologies and processes that facilitate frequent and safe personal air transportation from every runway."
PATA's was once known as Frequent and Safe Transportation from Every Runway (FASTER). The organization bills itself as the only national organization coordinating innovation into air travel solutions created by air taxi/air charter operators; airplane manufacturers; airport authorities; government; and research organizations. “Innovations in aircraft, airports and airspace management are generating many more options at less cost for personal travel by air outside the hub and spoke system,” says its web site at www.pata.aero. “The options are with equal safety, lower cost and in communities that no longer have air travel options. PATA is the only national organization whose membership includes all of the organizations that match innovation from source to use, to provide better personal air transportation using small aircraft between community airports. More options permit decentralization of air travel into a point-to-point system.”
PATA is in development and is clearly geared toward promoting innovative solutions to fill the gap in meeting the transportation needs of those who have lost service as a result of the hub and spoke system. Transportation to many communities that once enjoyed regular air service has long since been lost as recounted in a special five-part report The War Against Community Air Service.  The organization developed from the five-year NASA Airspace Systems Program Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) project and is designed to pool knowledge and support research, create public understanding and facilitate the deployment of a personal air transportation system by establishing links between new aircraft, expanding small airports, and new air traffic concepts and technologies.
It is chaired by Ken Ross, president of North American Jet Charter Group, LLC with Paul Masson as the Alliance Manager and includes long-time business aviation expert and journalist Jack Olcott, who is now president of General Aero Company. Olcott recently represented the organization before a session of the Joint Planning and Development Office all-hands meeting.
The new organization is not horning in on National Air Transportation Association territory, said Olcott, who explained that PATA is an innovation alliance, structured to be a 501(c)3 [not-for-profit], not a 501(c)6 [non profit] corporation. “The common interest of PATA members is innovation, not lobbying such as NATA or NBAA,” he told VLJ Report, adding that NATA President Jim Coyne has offered to help the fledgling organization. “For the time being, however, Jim sees PATA as serving a function that NATA does not serve and does not wish to serve at this time within the fledgling community of high-frequency, possibly per-seat, on-demand operators using advanced technology GA aircraft.” Olcott did not rule out the possibility of a closer relationship between the two organizations.
As with PATA, ATXA does not do lobbying in favor of having members support the work of general and business aviation organizations that do.
“The Air Taxi Association (ATXA) is leading the revolution in personal air travel at greatly reduced prices – expanding the market for air travel by taking people off our crowded roads and into our open skies on next-generation aircraft,” said ATXA on its website. “Backed by leading air taxi companies, the Air Taxi Association’s mission is to speed the adoption of the air taxi model so that more businesses, individuals, and communities of all sizes can enjoy the benefits of direct, personal flights. With over a dozen products and services available, the Air Taxi Association is uniting the industry, expanding the market for aviation, and helping shape the future of air travel.” The organization expanded recently with a European counterpart the European Air Taxi Association.
PATA was originally formed by eight on-demand air taxi companies, five airframe manufacturers, two aircraft engine companies, an avionics firm and five R&D laboratories, according to an article on the Joint Planning and Development Office web site. It will facilitate the personal air transportation system deployment by the establishment of links between new aircraft, expanded community airports, and new air traffic systems concepts and technologies. It wants to pool knowledge and support research that enhances the personal air transportation and is active in contributing to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NexGen) National Roadmap.
It is also contributing to the:
• Development of common operational concepts
• Development of common technologies and systems approaches
• Development of standards and interoperability for targeted systems
• Creation of common certification paths
• Expansion availability of new aircraft with lower operating costs
• Creation public understanding and acceptance of the value, safety, and use for air-taxis as a reflection of a personal air transportation system using small aircraft at community airports