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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | ||||||
| 3 | congratulate American Airlines on the occasion of its 100th | ||||||
| 4 | anniversary, marking a century of connecting the City of | ||||||
| 5 | Chicago and the State of Illinois to people, cultures, and | ||||||
| 6 | economies through air travel as it became one of the world's | ||||||
| 7 | leading global airlines; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, On April 15, 1926, American Airlines was founded | ||||||
| 9 | with a flight piloted by Charles Lindbergh, who was carrying | ||||||
| 10 | U.S. Mail from Chicago to St. Louis, and the company has since | ||||||
| 11 | grown into one of the world's leading global airlines, | ||||||
| 12 | establishing its Chicago hub more than four decades ago and | ||||||
| 13 | making O'Hare International Airport the largest dual-hub | ||||||
| 14 | airport in the nation; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, American Airlines has operated commercial service | ||||||
| 16 | at O'Hare International Airport since 1955, and today the | ||||||
| 17 | airport serves as the airline's third-largest global hub and | ||||||
| 18 | primary Midwest connection point; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, American Airlines has the distinction of being | ||||||
| 20 | the first airline to introduce an airline loyalty program, | ||||||
| 21 | known as AAdvantage, which Illinoisans use to fly their | ||||||
| 22 | families to vacation destinations and distant family events; | ||||||
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| 1 | and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, American Airlines' centennial is a reminder that | ||||||
| 3 | the airline has bolstered the economy of Chicagoland and the | ||||||
| 4 | State of Illinois, generating more than $16 billion in total | ||||||
| 5 | economic output for the State in Fiscal Year 2024 alone, while | ||||||
| 6 | employing nearly 10,000 team members in the Chicago area and | ||||||
| 7 | contributing to local organizations that help the region | ||||||
| 8 | thrive; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, American Airlines provides Illinois with | ||||||
| 10 | increased connectivity and a broad global network, operating | ||||||
| 11 | more than 525 peak daily departures from five airports in | ||||||
| 12 | Illinois and offering flights to more than 160 destinations | ||||||
| 13 | and 17 countries; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, American Airlines annually carries more than 25 | ||||||
| 15 | million passengers through O'Hare International Airport; | ||||||
| 16 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 18 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate | ||||||
| 19 | American Airlines on its 100th anniversary and centennial | ||||||
| 20 | celebration, and we thank the airline for its continued | ||||||
| 21 | commitment to the State of Illinois; and be it further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to American Airlines as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
| 3 | esteem. | ||||||