Nicholas E. Calio, a Citigroup lobbyist and former White House official, has been appointed as the new president and CEO of the Air Transport Association of America. Calio, who will assume the position from January 1, currently leads the government-affairs division at Citigroup. Prior to that he was the assistant to the president for legislative affairs and chief liaison to Congress for presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush.
Calio replaces James May, who left of his own accord after being president for eight years.
The main issue Calio intends to focus on are: lower taxes on air travel, investment in a new national air traffic-control system, and the ability to work more closely with foreign airlines. The ATA also opposes export credit guarantees and efforts to tax greenhouse gas emissions.