ANNAPOLIS – Gov. Parris N. Glendening will lead four governors and Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams to New York Sunday morning for the first leg of a two-day trip designed to restore confidence in the safety of air travel and tourism.
Glendening and New York Gov. George E. Pataki organized the sightseeing odyssey to show Americans that “flying is safe” and “tourism is safe,” said spokeswoman Raquel Guillory.
Also participating in the journey will be Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist.
The “Back-to-Business Tour,” as Glendening’s office was calling it Friday afternoon, will start Sunday morning at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, where the politicians will gather before flying to New York City, Guillory said.
President Bush has called for Americans to return to normal life in recent days and spoke optimistically to airport workers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Thursday where he announced his plan for a federal airport security system that would include armed “air marshals” on select flights.
Bush approved a $15 billion federal bailout last weekend of a battered airline industry that has laid off more than 100,000 workers since the terrorist attacks. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta took a highly-publicized commercial flight to Chicago on Thursday to promote the safety of air travel.
“We’re excited to have the governors,” said Kurt Iverson, spokesman for American Airlines, adding that the trip will “absolutely” help restore the public’s confidence in flying.
The group will travel on American Eagle, a subsidiary of the airline.
“They’ll be providing a good example to the public,” Iverson said.
Since terrorists hijacked four jetliners on Sept. 11, using them as weapons in the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil, security has intensified, Iverson said.
Maryland State Troopers began patrolling the state’s airports Thursday until National Guard troops can be trained to take over.
During the first few days of heightened security, long lines were common, but airlines have adjusted and Glendening’s group will see that the system is functioning efficiently, Iverson said.
On-time performance is also up, since most airlines cut flights by about 20 percent and there is not the usual traffic on runways, he said.
In New York, the group will join Pataki to honor victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and rescue workers, who continue to excavate the debris at the World Trade Center.
The bipartisan pack of politicians will lunch at the famous Carnegie Deli in midtown Manhattan and see the Lion King musical Sunday.
Monday morning, the group will appear on NBC’s “Today” show before flying back to BWI for the Washington leg of their tour.
In the capital, they will visit the rescue workers at the Pentagon, walk down The Mall and make a stop at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
“It’s a gesture of goodwill and support to show that everything is OK, that we can get back to normal,” said Sean Williams, spokesman for Gov. Sundquist.
They will be doing some regular New York and Washington things, Williams said. “It’s really to show our support for those cities.”