With every takeoff and every landing, there's a story.

A family reunion where five generations come together across thousands of miles to convene in one location. The group photo said it all.

Or a couple who met online but lived on opposite coasts. They had never even held hands before. Until they did.

Or a businesswoman who presented at a meeting in Chicago (and closed the deal) — and still was able to get home to Dallas to tuck her son into bed that same night.

Seemingly small stories like these are important pieces of a larger one: the story of how U.S. airlines have become an essential element of American life. Not just getting people safely and efficiently from here to there, but enabling Americans to enjoy and live life in a way impossible to imagine without access to air travel.

When you think about what U.S. airlines achieve every day, it's easy to understand why efficiency — and using the best possible air traffic system — matters. A glimpse into a day in the life of America's airlines provides a clearer image of the vast nature of our work:

27,000 flights a day across the globe

Nearly 50,000 tons of cargo is transported

2.1 million passengers served (enough to fill the Rose Bowl about 23 times)

580,000 workers — from pilots to flight attendants to rampers to mechanics — employed by the U.S. airline industry

These statistics reinforce what we know intuitively: That airlines have become an essential element of life in America — for everyday fliers and for the U.S. economy. And though our best work allows passengers to simply think about the endless travel options and book their tickets, important issues large and small determine how well the U.S. airline industry is able to serve the nation's needs.

One of the not-so-small issues before the country today is the much-needed reform of our air traffic control system. The fact is the GPS system in your car today is more technologically advanced than the system that manages our nation's airspace.

Though this dated air traffic control system is the safest in the world, improvement and relentless innovation are what distinguish the United States. Good is not good enough. The ground-based technology in use today does not enable planes to fly as directly and efficiently as they otherwise could, and we're all paying the price in time and money. Flight delays and cancellations cost our country more than $30 billion every year.

We all deserve better.

NextGen — a 21st century GPS satellite-based system — would make air travel more efficient, dependable and convenient. It would reduce flight delays, cancellations, aircraft noise and emissions. Real-time information between airports and aircraft would provide a better travel experience. And here's the thing: This technology has been available for years, yet we're stuck in a holding pattern, if you will, just waiting to land.

We have invested billions of dollars and countless hours to provide the FAA with operational data, participated in pilot programs and served on countless working groups, to bring this vital program to fruition. Controllers have spent years of time and effort testing and improving the system. Yet the process in place today and the federal budgeting process have resulted in our aviation system being treated like a political football. Movement forward has occurred in fits and starts. And so we wait.

The obstacles in moving more quickly and effectively to NextGen are not ones of talent or leadership or desire at the FAA. The obstacles are structural and financial. As such, we should be focused on holistic changes in structure, governance, funding and accountability that will facilitate the development of a world-class ATC organization.

This isn't just a plea for one industry. In every way, this issue has national implications. The commercial aviation industry drives 5 percent of the total U.S. economy, and one out of every 12 U.S. jobs points back to this industry. Any inefficiency, large or small, ripples well beyond the world of U.S. airlines.

This is also about keeping U.S. air travel the safest on the planet. The U.S. airline industry is in the safest period in aviation history due to the ongoing and strong collaboration among the airlines, manufacturers and government. An updated air traffic system will position us to continue this path of safety well into the future.

Ultimately, though, this is about real people — that family reunion, the cross-continent couple, the businesswoman on the go — being impacted by these decisions. Time-pressed Americans should know that they can count on U.S. airlines for safe, seamless and efficient flights.

We know what needs to be done. Now is the time to do it.