AIA Is Not Worried About Anything

Keith’s note: The Aerospace Industries Association just put put their self-serving and totally anodyne “Space Priorities 2025“. Its all bland happy talk – as if nothing was really happening these days when it comes to the health and well being of the aerospace sector. With all of the swirling concern over budget cuts, program cancellations, and layoffs, you’d think that a non-profit established to be concerned about the aerospace sector would be a little more proactive in discussing these threats. Guess again.

Have a look: https://www.aia-aerospace.org/wp-content/uploads/Aerospace-Industries-Association-2025-Space-Priorities-FINAL.pdf This is the only thing close to mentioning the impending RIF at @NASA and other agencies, contractor layoffs as projects and missions are cancelled, draconian budget cuts, and substantial funding agency reorganizations:

— “Grow the space workforce. Invest in education and workforce development to expand the current and future space workforce.” —

Really? That’s it?

Their website is devoid of any mention of the current challenges facing the aerospace sector and its workforce – private and government https://www.aia-aerospace.org/

If you look at the AIA 990 form filed with the IRS for 2022 (https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2022/530/023/2022-530023710-202342719349300014-9O.pdf) page 7, (publicly available at various non-profit organization tracking sites) you will see that in the filing year covered, the current executive director made a base salary of $1,552,091 based on a 34.5 hours work week. COO = $664,698; Senior VP $333,697; VP Nat Security $313,904; VP Space Systems $334,497; and another 7 people made $200,000+

With $15 million+ coming in the doors in 2022 and net assets of $24 million these folks don’t have to worry about a job. So why worry about yours?

Ad Astra? Certainly not like this.