The chief executive officer of American Airlines met with Wichita officials Monday to talk about last week’s tragic loss of an American flight from Wichita to Washington. D.C.
American CEO Robert Isom met with Mayor Lily Wu, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, 4th District Congressman Ron Estes and first responders, along with American team members at Eisenhower National Airport.
They released a joint statement following the meeting:
“As the close-knit community of Wichita continues to mourn this tragic accident, American Airlines and representatives from all levels of government came together today to unequivocally stand with the families and friends of the passengers of Flight 5342. Caring for and supporting those impacted is our top priority. This morning, we visited with and expressed our gratitude to American team members based at Eisenhower National Airport and thanked those who came from other parts of the country to support this Wichita-based team and the passengers’ loved ones immediately following the accident. Together, we will be unrelenting in our work at the local, state and federal levels to ensure U.S. aviation safety remains the best in the world.”
In the meantime, crews removed the fuselage of the American jet from the Potomac River near the nation’s capital following last week’s mid-air collision. Equipment was moved into place in the river over the weekend after several days of surveying the site. Sixty-seven people were killed in the crash between American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
[ photo: City of Wichita – left to right, Mayor Lily Wu, Governor Laura Kelly, American CEO Robert Isom, Congressman Ron Estes, Mike Zamrzla with Senator Jerry Moran’s Office ]
