Area Leaders Show Support for AA Merger
NEW TEAM: Members of the new American Airlines and US Air merger team met in Tulsa with area leaders to discuss the future of the new newly-formed company. From left are Bill Collins, vice president of base maintenance for American Airlines; David Seymour, senior vice president of operations of US Air; and Bill Cavitt, vice president of engineering and quality assurance for American Airlines.
LESLIE JOHNSON for GTR Newspapers
Business and community leaders packed a Tulsa Regional Chamber news conference room Feb. 15 to announce their support for the merger between American Airlines and U.S. Airways – a move that would form the nation’s largest air carrier.
“The merger announcement between American Airlines and US Airways is outstanding for the Tulsa region and a win for Oklahoma,” says Tulsa Regional Chamber president and Mike Neal. “This is outstanding news for some 6,400 employees and families across the Northeast Oklahoma region.”
In early 2012, many of the same community leaders, business leaders and elected officials joined the Tulsa Regional Chamber and partners in economic development for a news conference to voice their unwavering support to help American Airlines work toward the best outcome for the company and for northeast Oklahoma following American parent company Corp’s bankruptcy filing.
“We’re thankful for the leadership of the entire community,” says Tulsa Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. “From the beginning, the Tulsa Regional Chamber, mayors and city managers from outlying communities and the Tulsa County Commissioners created a unified effort to support our various industries at the airport, on which we rely so heavily for Tulsa’s economic future.”
“In the months to come, our community will need to work closely with the new American Airlines and to ensure Tulsa is prepared to address the future maintenance base needs of this global company,” Neal says.
The American Airlines base in Tulsa has a tremendous economic impact on northeast Oklahoma, with jobs at American Airlines’ maintenance base in Tulsa supporting nearly 3,500 additional jobs throughout the Tulsa-area economy. Total income earned and supported by AA employees and annual operations nears $711 million, while the company and its employees contribute more than $928 million to the gross regional product of the Tulsa . In addition, the sales tax to county and city collections supported by AA employees is $10.2 million.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Tulsa as US Air recognizes the significance of our talented workforce and their commitment to hard work,” Bartlett says. “The city of Tulsa is grateful that American Airlines and US Air are committed to Tulsa and that our future in the aerospace/aviation industry looks very bright.”
Updated 02-22-2013
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