TheAerospace Industries Association (AIA) – originally theAeronautical Chamber of Commerce (1922-1945), thenAircraft Industries Association (1945-1960)^[1] – is an Americantrade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and businessaircraft,helicopters,UAVs,space systems,aircraft engines,missiles, material, and related components, equipment, services, andinformation technology in theUnited States. It also co-sponsors, with theNational Association of Rocketry, theAmerica Rocketry Challenge (TARC), an annual competition for high school students. Member companies also give awards and scholarships to top placing teams at the TARC national finals each year, and it is funded through sponsoring companies. AIA also develops the manufacturing standards calledNational Aerospace Standards, which are available to aerospace manufacturers that conform toUnited States Military Standards for equipment manufacturing and provide standards for other various components.

The organization's current president and CEO isEric Fanning.^[2]

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is governed by a board of governors that meets twice a year and consists of senior representatives of member companies at the c-suite level, and an executive committee that meets more frequently. The government frequently seeks advice from AIA on issues, and AIA provides a forum for government and industry representatives to exchange views and resolve problems on non-competitive matters related to aerospace and defense.^[3]

Founded in 1919 with the purpose of representing the American aviation industry, AIA has since expanded the scope of that vision with technological advance in aerospace. Today, on behalf of its more than 340 member companies, AIA advocates for aerospace and defense issues ranging from technical workforce policy tospace exploration. Notable recurring topics of advocacy include "... robust federal budgets for aerospace and defense, a strong U.S. industrial base, defense modernization, and an efficient acquisition system."^[3]

Another AIA advocacy endeavor isNational Aerospace Week, an event that celebrates aerospace in the United States. In 2010, National Aerospace Week was established under a resolution passed by both houses of theU.S. Congress, in conjunction with AIA. This event has been recognized byNASA^[4] and theU.S. Department of Commerce.^[5]

In late 2011, AIA launched the Second to None federal budget education campaign to inform the public and elected officials about the importance of the aerospace and defense industry and provide answers to what the predicted impacts of federal budget cuts, commonly known as sequestration, will have on the aerospace and defense industry.^[6] The campaign received significant media attention in 2012 for its efforts and competed as a finalist in 2012 forPRWeek Awards 2013's Public Affairs Campaign of the Year.^[7]

In July 2024, AIA signed a letter to members of both theHouse Committee on Armed Services and theSenate Committee on Armed Services opposing Section 828 of S. 4628, theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, entitled "Requirement for Contractors to Provide Reasonable Access to Repair Materials," which would require contractors doing business with the US military to agree "to provide the Department of Defense fair and reasonable access to all the repair materials, including parts, tools, and information, used by the manufacturer or provider or their authorized partners to diagnose, maintain, or repair the good or service."^[8]

TheAmerica Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is an annualAmericanmodel rocketry competition for students in grades seven to 12 sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and theNational Association of Rocketry.^[9] Co-sponsors includeNASA,United States Department of Defense, theAmerican Association of Physics Teachers and theCivil Air Patrol.^[10] The event receives local and national media coverage and draws well-known representatives of theDefense Department,NASA, theFAA, and other government agencies. Past National Fly-Offs have been attended byUnited States Secretary of DefenseRobert Gates,Apollo 11 astronautBuzz Aldrin,Rocket Boys authorHomer Hickam, former NASA AdministratorSean O'Keefe, U.S. SenatorMike Enzi, and former NASA Administrator,Charles Bolden.^[11]

In October 2017, AIA's membership was composed of 346 member companies. This diverse group of businesses includes large aerospace and defense companies and small businesses alike. Membership is divided into full and associate membership.^[12]

One of AIA's key membership sources is its Supplier Management Council (SMC). The SMC is a unique, non-attributional forum where senior supply chain representatives from system integrators and manufacturers tackle issues that impact the aerospace and defense supply chain. Open to both Full Members and Associate Members, the Council's mission is to integrate and focus the collective capabilities of the supply chain, at every level, to influence the strategies, policies, and regulations that enable the U.S. aerospace and defense industry to successfully compete in the global market, be profitable, and strengthen the U.S. position as the world leader.^[13]

The Aircraft Year Book (1919^[14]-1957^[15]), Aerospace-Facts-and-Figures (1959^[16]-1996^[17]), Annual-Report-Of-The-President (1952^[18]-1996), and other research documents have been uploaded and are online.

The Smithsonian reports that the AIA was originally incorporated as theAeronautical Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in 1922.^[1]

Other sources, however, report that:

"The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York in 1919 and was formally organized with 100 charter members on December 31, 1921."^[19][20]

At the end ofWorld War II, in 1945, it became theAviation Industries Association (AIA). In 1960, during the early years of theSpace Race, was renamed theAerospace Industries Association (AIA)^[1]

AIA Chairman are selected from the leadership of member companies, as voted by the Board of Governors. Each Chairman serves a yearlong term, begin on 1 January and ending on 31 December.

• The America Rocketry Challenge
• National Aerospace Week

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAerospace Industries Association.

• AIA website

• Aviation trade associations
• Trade associations based in the United States
• Organizations based in Arlington County, Virginia

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• Commons category link from Wikidata