Atlanta Welcomes Airport and Government Officials from Beijing for Aviation and Airport Security Preparedness WorkshopCity of Atlanta and Atlanta’s Airport used as Models for Future Economic Growth for China
Hong Kong, 1 November 2006, – The City of Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) hosts a delegation of 30 Chinese airport and government officials for an Aviation and Airport Security Preparedness workshop, organized by CIFAL Atlanta, from October 28 to November 2, 2006.
In the wake of heightened security threats abroad, the workshop will focus on sharing best practices and innovative strategies that will help China’s airports and major metropolitan cities prepare to host the 2008 Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Beijing, China. It will also focus on sharing how to leverage such a major global event for future economic growth.
The workshop follows visits by two Georgia delegations to China that included Mayor Franklin and Commissioner Lesser. The delegation’s efforts centered on three major objectives: interviewing candidates and scouting locations for the opening of a Georgia office in Beijing during the first quarter of 2007; continued lobbying for the opening of a Chinese consulate in Atlanta; and continued support of Delta Air Lines’ proposal to begin direct service from Atlanta to Beijing.
“Delta continues to work aggressively to secure access to China for our customers when the next new-entrant designation becomes available in 2008,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s chief operating officer. “We believe we are well positioned to receive the next designation and are ready to connect the world’s largest airline hub in Atlanta to the fastest growing economy in the world. We expect that nonstop Delta service between Atlanta and China alone will generate approximately $400 million in annual economic benefits for Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding Southeast region.”
The City of Atlanta continues to collaborate with CIFAL Atlanta, the only North American affiliate of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). In April 2005, Hartsfield-Jackson was designated as UNITAR’s partner for training in aviation excellence.
Utilizing an integrated approach developed by UNITAR, the workshop will broaden city officials’ knowledge of aviation and security practices and enable a better understanding of long-term economic growth. Participants include senior economic development officials along with government leaders and academicians from Beijing Capital International Airport Senior Management, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games Chinese, Capital Airports Holding Company, China Central Television Civil Aviation Authority and Tsinghua University.
The workshop will explore approaches to airport and security preparedness through:
“Relations with China continue to grow, and this workshop is a great opportunity for us to showcase metro Atlanta and the State of Georgia,” said Axel Leblois, executive director of CIFAL Atlanta. “We are pleased to be an organizing partner with the City of Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines and Unisys for this important event. We think the City of Atlanta has much to offer to China in terms of best practice sharing. As one of the busiest airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson has one of the best infrastructures in terms of efficiency, strategy and contribution to the economic development of the City of Atlanta.”
Georgia shares a strong relationship with China. In 2005, exports to China totaled $979 million, an increase of 482 percent since 1998 placing Georgia as the sixth-largest export destination in 2005. In 2004 more than $9.9 billion in goods were imported from China through the Savannah Customs District. Imports from China to Georgia have increased 456 percent since 1998.
The workshop is being organized with the support of Unisys, Delta Air Lines, the Center for Air Commerce at the Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Tsinghua University in Beijing, Oshkosh, SITA, IBM; and in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Zoo Atlanta, L3 Communications, Alston & Bird LLP, Reece & Associates, Summit National Bank and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For more information on the workshop, visit the CIFAL Atlanta web site at www.cifalatlanta.org.
Click here for a Traditional Chinese version of the press release.
CIFAL Atlanta
CIFAL Atlanta a North American center of the United Nations Institute for Research and Training (UNITAR), partnered with the City of Atlanta in 2005 to deploy international programs for local authorities and civil society leaders throughout the Western Hemisphere and the world.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airportis the world’s busiest airport and a global connector. The Atlanta Airport is focused daily on meeting its mission: To be the World’s Best Airport by exceeding customer expectations.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 291 destinations in 46 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America’s fastest growing international airline and is the world’s leading carrier between the United States and destinations across Europe, India and Israel with flights to 29 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 400 weekly flights to 48 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 450 worldwide destinations in 92 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at www.delta.com.
Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide technology services and solutions company. Our consultants apply Unisys expertise in consulting, systems integration, outsourcing, infrastructure, and server technology to help our clients achieve secure business operations. We build more secure organizations by creating visibility into clients’ business operations. Leveraging the Unisys 3D Visible Enterprise approach, we make visible the impact of their decisions—ahead of investments, opportunities and risks. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
Contact
Gail Ferrari Marold, Unisys, ph: 1-919-342-5376
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