As the first order of business, American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker was elected President of the AGM. His election was followed by remarks to the AGM by Anthony Foxx, US Secretary of Transportation, Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

This year, some 3.5 billion passengers and nearly 55 million tons of cargo will move safely across a global network spanning approximately 51,000 routes. Aviation supports 58.1 million jobs and $2.4 trillion in economic activity, while in the United States it supports around 5.7 million jobs and contributes $561.7 billion to GDP.

US airlines are leading the industry in terms of profitability. “The US is our industry’s most impressive turnaround story, airlines here are investing more than $1 billion per month in their product and adding service to meet rising demand for connectivity. Aviation stimulates growth and creates jobs. These should also be the goals of policy makers in Washington. What is needed is a holistic view that recognizes that the real value of aviation is the connectivity it provides, not the fees and taxes that can be extracted from it,” said Tyler.