Good afternoon and thank you all for being here.

Today is a fantastic day! It is the day that we have been waiting for...at last our community efforts to bring affordable airfares and improved air service to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport has come to fruition. It is with the arrival of AirTran that our dream has become a reality.

It is no secret that lowering air fares at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport has been a top priority for the City of Wichita. It is no secret we have been and continue to be very aggressive about achieving that goal. And now, with the help of businesses, communities and residents in Wichita and across South Central Kansas...we are able to celebrate a major victory with the arrival of AirTran to Wichita.

What does this mean for our community? It means a great deal but the most important element is the direct savings at an estimate of $42.3 million dollars for businesses and travelers in south-central Kansas. This will open Wichita to new economic development, tourism and much more. It will do things for our economy that we are not even sure of yet. Who knows how many new businesses this will help bring to our community? Or how many of our existing businesses will prosper even more? We know that there will be many. All this is because we have fought long and hard on this critical issue for Wichita and south-central Kansas.

We are proud that AirTran has selected Wichita. We know they made the right decision. AirTran is the second largest low fair carrier in the nation. The arrival of this fine company brings 10 additional daily flights to Mid-Continent Airport going to and from Atlanta and Chicago-Midway. These flights will provide connections to numerous other cities on the east coast. This put Wichita on the map as the thirty-eighth city of service for AirTran.

Now we have a special guest from AirTran that I would to introduce you to. Tad Hutcheson is Director of Marketing for AirTran Airways. He joined AirTran Airways in June 1997 and he has a few words to share with us as well...Tad...

Thank you Tad. I am excited to introduce you to Mr. Joe Leonard. Joe Leonard is chairman and chief executive officer of AirTran Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary, AirTran Airways, Inc. He joined AirTran Airways in January 1999. Joe, would you please say a few words on behalf of AirTran?

Thank you Joe, for being here, and Former Senator Dole. I am so pleased that Bob was able to make it to this celebration. The economic impact that AirTran brings to our state is truly something to celebrate and Senator Dole was realized its importance and wanted to be a part of it. I would like to ask you to say a few words...

Thank you once again to everyone who is here today. As you know, for all of our citizens to advance and succeed...we must join together to meet challenges and solve problems... We must realize and openly accept the fact that we are all neighbors who are dependent on each other. Neighbors who will succeed...or fail...together. Today we have succeeded.

But there is still much more to do. We have a battle ahead to accomplish this goal with the west side of the United States. Our team continues to hammer away to bring home another development like this. But there is also much more you can do at home. You can support AirTran, and when we bring a low-cost carrier for the west coast, support them as well. Because competition is getting fierce. We have seen other airlines drop their prices to meet AirTran’s. It is up to you to support AirTran. If you save only $10 by using a carrier other than AirTran, ask yourself – is it worth it? AirTran has shown they have the commitment to make it here in Wichita. It is now up to us to show them we do too.

But, today is ours to celebrate with the arrival of AirTran. I hope YOU are as proud of this day, as I am. Thank you all!