(ATLANTA) – Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) General Manager Miguel Southwell will unveil specific details of the Airport’s multi-billion dollar capital plan at the inaugural State of the Airport event ...
(ATLANTA) – Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) General Manager Miguel Southwell will unveil specific details of the Airport’s multi-billion dollar capital plan at the inaugural State of the Airport event on March 10 to more than 750 attendees.
The capital plan will ensure ATL maintains its position as one of the most important airports in the world. For the first time, the public will see renderings of substantial improvements planned to the Domestic Terminal, new gates and new parking structures. Mayor Reed and Southwell will also discuss the construction of a new concourse, outline plans for a sixth runway, and describe the expansion of ATL’s cargo area. Investment in ATL is expected to top $6 billion, with nearly one billion dollars to be spent in 2017 alone.
Richard Quest, CNN anchor/aviation correspondent, will serve as the emcee for the event. Quest is the established airline and aviation correspondent at CNN. He has interviewed all of the major airline executives including, Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson; Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker; AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes; and Emirates CEO Tim Clark. He has covered a number of breaking aviation stories like Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
As emcee, Quest will be presenting the awards for the Global Leader and Global Corporate Leader categories. The Global Leader award will be presented to an individual whose actions have served to advance Atlanta’s presence in international air transportation with either passengers or cargo. The Global Corporate Leader will be presented to a company whose contributions – whether through capital development, financial gains or other support – has made exceptional strides in advancing Atlanta’s or the state’s prominence in international air transportation.
"Securing Richard Quest as our emcee for the inaugural State of the Airport is truly a win," said Hala Moddelmog, MAC President and CEO. "MAC, along with our partner, World Trade Center Atlanta, are holding this event to showcase the economic force that we have at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport."
Boasting a direct economic impact of $34.8 billion in metro Atlanta and a total direct economic impact of $70.9 billion in Georgia, ATL is a dominant economic engine for the region and one of the state’s most critical assets.
"Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is a global icon in international travel," said Craig Lesser, World Trade Center Chair. "The Atlanta airport is one of the driving reasons that companies from around the world choose Atlanta as a launching pad for their business and trade activities."
During his recent State of the City event, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced that ATL served more passengers and handled more aircraft operations than any other airport in the world in 2015. ATL has retained the title as the World’s Busiest Airport for 18 years and served more than 101 million passengers last year.
Tickets are selling fast, so RSVP to the State of the Airport event at: http://stateofatlairport.com/ and follow us on Twitter at @ATLairport, @atlchamber, @wtcatlanta and #SOTA16.
The event will be held on March 10 at the Georgia World Congress Center – Hall C, Georgia Ballroom, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Media interested in attending the event can RSVP to Tanya Dunne at tdunne@macoc.com or call (404) 586-8471.
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About the Metro Atlanta Chamber
The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) serves as a catalyst for a more prosperous and vibrant region. To advance economic growth and improve metro Atlanta's quality of place, MAC is focused on starting, growing and recruiting companies to the 29-county metro Atlanta region. The Chamber is also focused on growing the region's innovation economy by promoting and strengthening connections to drive Atlanta's innovation and entrepreneurial culture. MAC is committed to being an active voice for the business community, serving as an advocate for a competitive business climate and telling Atlanta's story. For more information, visit www.metroatlantachamber.com
