* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:18] WELCOME TO A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS ROOM HAS HAD MANY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS THROUGH THE YEARS, BUT THIS MORNING IS REALLY A SPECIAL, SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. UH, THANK YOU ANGELICA, FOR HELPING ARRANGE THIS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING. UH, AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU COME TO WORK TO FACE CHALLENGES, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ON MORNINGS LIKE THIS TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THE PROGRESS THAT CITY OF HOUSTON IS REALIZING TO ANNOUNCE THE INAUGURAL FLIGHT BETWEEN BUSH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ROME MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE ICONIC CITY OF ROME. IT MEANS THAT HOUSTON IS CERTAINLY MAKING A STATEMENT THAT WE'RE AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED, BUT THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T JUST HAPPEN. IT COMES FROM LEADERSHIP, AND I'M GONNA HAVE THE HONOR OF RECOGNIZING THE LEADERS THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. BUT AS A MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, AS A HOUSTONIAN, I KNOW HOW SPECIAL THIS IS TO THE ITALIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON. HAVING GROWN UP IN OAK FOREST, THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY HELPED MAKE THIS A GREAT CITY. I WISH JOE MONTE, BONO, MONTE MONTE BONO LUMBER ON HOUSTON AVENUE WAS HERE THIS MORNING. I MISS CECIL LOMBARDO, WHO WAS A CIVIC LEADER IN OAK FOREST, AND YES, THE FERTITA COMMUNITY, THE FERTITA FAMILY, THE HELPED MAKE THIS GREAT CITY, THE GREAT CITY IT IS TODAY. SO WE'RE NOT ONLY GONNA DISCUSS THE STATEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HOUSTON AT LARGE IN TERMS OF CULTURAL EXCHANGES, OUR ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHAT IT MEANS FOR HOUSTON, BUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR ITALIANS, ROME TO COME HERE AND HAVE ACCESS TO OUR HEALTHCARE, OUR ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, OUR PORT, OUR BUSINESS, OUR PEOPLE, OUR DIVERSITY. IT IS REALLY A GREAT DAY TO BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 'CAUSE I GET TO REPORT TO HOUSTONIANS THAT THE TIMING IS PERFECT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. PREVIOUS MAYORS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DO THIS FOR YEARS. THIS IS THE CONNECTION THAT WE NEEDED FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IT OPENS UP NOT ONLY ROME AND ITALY, BUT ALL OF EUROPE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WITH FIFA COMING NEXT SUMMER. WHAT, WHAT A CELEBRATION. SO LET ME RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. MR. EBERHART, THE C CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF EFA, EFA AIRWAYS, THANK YOU FOR BEING A SMART BUSINESSMAN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE VISION FOR YOUR COMPANY TO LOCATE IN HOUSTON TO HELP YOUR CLIENTS, YOUR PASSENGERS, ACCESS THIS GREAT CITY IN A GREAT STATE OF TEXAS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THE SUCCESS THAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE, AND IT'S MUTUAL. WE'RE GONNA BE A GREATER CITY BECAUSE OF YOUR BUSINESS DECISION. SO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OUR HOUSTONIANS, AND REALLY THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY. OVER 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, WE NEEDED A DIRECT FLIGHT TO ROME. IT JUST OPENS UP EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR, I'VE ALREADY RE MENTIONED IT, OUR, OUR HEALTHCARE. IT. IT'LL JUST, I'M EXCITED TO COME TO WORK TODAY TO MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. SO LET ME THANK YOU PUBLICLY AND RECOGNIZE YOU FOR COMMENTS. MR. I HART THANK, THANK YOU, MA. MAJOR, UH, WHITMEYER. UM, IT'S A GREAT HONOR FOR ME AND I'M VERY EXCITED AND WE ARE PROUD, UH, TO ANNOUNCE, UH, THE FIRST FLIGHT IN HISTORY BETWEEN ROMAN HOUSTON. SO, UH, WE CONNECT THIS FIRST TIME WITH THE DIRECT FLIGHT, AND, UH, WE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THIS CONNECTION. WE SEE THE POTENTIAL IN THE MARKET, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, BUT WE ALSO SEE [00:05:01] THE CONNECTION OF CULTURES, THE CONNECTION OF ECONOMIES, WHICH IS, UH, PLAYS A BIG ROLE FOR US. SO WE SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL, UH, IN THE MARKET AS WELL. AND JUST LET ME GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS. UM, THE FIRST FLIGHT WILL BE 1ST OF MAY NEXT YEAR. AND WE START WITH THREE WEEKLY FREQUENCIES IN MAY 26TH, INCREASING TO FIVE WEEKLY FREQUENCIES, UH, FROM JUNE 26TH. AND AS OF, UH, AS WE SPEAK NOW, THE FLIGHTS ARE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEMS FOR SALE. SO THEY'RE OPEN FOR SALE. AND, UH, WE ARE OF COURSE VERY, VERY SATISFIED WITH WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SO FAR. MANY THINGS ALSO TO THE AMBASSADOR IN ROME. UH, TILLMAN , WHO WAS FACILITATING A LOT, UM, NOT ONLY WITH THE AIRPORT, BUT ALSO NOW WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND HE, HE MADE US, UH, LET'S SAY, UH, HE, HE MADE SOME MARKETING FOR HOUSTON, UH, THAT, THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN, UH, MORE CONVINCING FOR US. AND SO, UH, WE ARE VERY, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO START THE FLIGHTS. UH, HOPE TO VISIT THE HOUSTON. UH, THEN IN THE NEXT MONTH, UH, WE WILL OFFER A MODERN AIRCRAFT. UH, IT WILL BE EITHER ANBU 3 3900 OR AN AIRBUS 3 5900. SO THE MOST MODERN AIRCRAFT WE HAVE IN OUR FLEET. AND OF COURSE, YOU WILL FIND, UH, ITALIAN CULTURE STYLE, GASTOMY, AND HOSPITALITY ON OFF BYTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. NO, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR ITTA AIRWAYS DECISION. UH, I, I'M CERTAIN YOU'LL NEVER REGRET IT. WE ARE A GROWING MARKET. WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE WORLD. FIFA TELLS US THAT WE'RE MORE PREPARED FOR THE WORLD CUP NEXT SUMMER THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR CITY. IN FACT, MR. IBER HART THERE, CALL US THE GROWNUP CITY BECAUSE OF OUR MATURE DECISION MAKING. SO, THANK YOU. JOINING OUR CAN-DO COMMUNITY. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THIS NEXT GENTLEMAN I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE, THERE IS NO SECRET IN MY MIND HOW THIS WAS PULLED OFF. CERTAINLY YOUR CONTRIBUTION, OUR DIRECTOR OF, OF, UH, OUR AIRPORT, MY STAFF. BUT I THINK THE FINAL INFLUENCE TO HAVE THE ITALIAN, THE US AMBASSADOR, THE HONORABLE TILLMAN PROTITA REPRESENTING THE US AND ITALY, AND IN ROME, AND A HOUSTONIAN. AND I COULD TELL YOU, MR. EBERHART, WHAT HE'S DONE TO MAKE THIS A GREAT CITY. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO U OF H, THE ROCKETS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. I CAN GO ON OUR CIVIC, BUT LISTEN, TODAY, I'M SO EXCITED, AND I DON'T THINK IT JUST HAPPENED. TILLMAN IS THE MOST CAN-DO PERSON THAT I'VE MET IN MY LIFE. HE INSPIRES ME AND HE MAKES ALL OF US LOOK BETTER. UH, AMBASSADOR, UH, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS FLIGHT WHEN I GET , WHEN I GET HIS, WHEN I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT I CAN LEAVE HOUSTON, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MY COMMITMENT RIGHT NOW IS TO FIX HOUSTON. BUT I'M GONNA GET ON THAT FLIGHT TO ENJOY THE, UH, THE PLEASURES OF, OF LEAVING HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL, CONTINENTAL, AND NONSTOP TO ROME IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, QUITE FRANKLY, AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THERE. AND I KNOW I SPEAK FOR A LOT OF HOUSTONIANS, SO THANK YOU TILLMAN, FOR, FOR YOUR ENERGY, YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND WHAT YOU ARE STILL DOING FOR YOUR HOMETOWN, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO LET ME YIELD TO YOU AND, UH, YOUR ONE MORE DEMONSTRATION THAT ELECTIONS MATTER. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, RUNNING AN AIRPORT, OR SERVING AS AMBASSADOR ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES TO A GREAT COUNTRY OF ITALY. SO GIVE US, UH, AMBASSADOR YOUR EXPERIENCE OF, UH, SEEING THIS PROCESS WORK. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. AND I'M, I'M SO THRILLED THAT I GOT TO BE A PART OF YOUR TEAM TO, TO HELP GET YOU ELECTED. AND I, I'LL JUST TELL YOU, I, I READ THE CHRONICLES STILL EVERY DAY. I WATCH ALL THE NEWS, AND, UH, AND I TALK TO EVERYBODY IN HOUSTON, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES A WEEK. AND REPUBLICANS [00:10:01] AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE. UH, EVERYBODY IS THRILLED WITH THE JOB YOU'RE DOING DOWN THERE IN HOUSTON. AND, UH, I, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, I'M, I'M, I'M EXCITED FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. AND EVERYBODY IN, YOU SHOULDN'T, SHOULD BE SO THANKFUL THAT, UH, WE HAVE A STRONG MAYOR. IT'S A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT IS AN EXTREMELY STRONG MAYOR. UH, WHO MAKES THE RIGHT DECISION. DOESN'T CARE IF YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. UH, 'CAUSE YOU AND I DISAGREE ON THINGS SOMETIMES, BUT YOU ALWAYS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. AND I CONGRATULATE YOU ON THAT LEADERSHIP. SO, UH, THANK YOU. THIS IS WONDERFUL. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, TO YOU GUYS. IT'S FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON HERE AND, UH, WHAT A, WHAT AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT. AND, UH, I KNEW THE ONLY WAY TO GET JOHN TO, TO ROME WAS A DIRECT FLIGHT, OR I WAS GONNA HAVE TO PICK HIM UP AND BRING HIM. SO I SAID, WELL, WE JUST, ME AND YORK SAID WE'VE GOT TO GET A FLIGHT DIRECT FROM, UH, ROME TO HOUSTON TO GET ALL MY FRIENDS DOWN UP HERE AND BACK DOWN TO, TO, UH, HOUSTON. BUT AS A PROUD TEXAN AND THE US AMBASSADOR TO ITALY, I'M THRILLED TO CELEBRATE ADA'S AIRWAYS DIRECT FLIGHT TO, TO HOUSTON AND ROME. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER ROUTE ON THE MAP. MM-HMM . IT IS A POWERFUL NEW BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO INCREDIBLE CITIES THAT SHARE SO MUCH. I THANK, UH, IA AIRWAY, CEO, RG EBERHART, AND THE ENTIRE IA TEAM FOR THEIR COOPERATION. AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE PEOPLE IN HOUSTON THAT WORKED SO HARD, OF COURSE, THE MAYOR AND JIM AND EVERYBODY IN THE AIRPORT SYSTEM TO GET THIS DONE SO QUICKLY AND, UH, TO BRING THESE TWO CITIES TOGETHER. IT WAS GREAT, UH, WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU TO, TO MAKE THIS VISION A REALITY. WHEN THIS IS, ONCE AGAIN, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WHEN STRONG TEAMS WORK TOGETHER, BIG THINGS HAPPEN. HEY, THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN TEXAS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN ROME. THIS NEW ROUTE, BEGINNING IN MAY, IS A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR ADA'S NINTH AMERICAN DESTINATION, STRENGTHENING THE AIR, THEIR AIRLINES FOOTPRINT IN THE US MARKET, AND GIVING SO MANY TRAVELERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO AMERICA FOR HOUSTONIANS. THIS FLIGHT DELIVERS ACCESS NOT ONLY TO ROME, BUT ALL OF IT LEAST. SO, ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN COME SEE ME HERE AND, UH, AS ONE OF HOUSTON, HOUSTON, ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST DYNAMIC AND ECONOMICAL POWERFUL CITIES THAT ATTRACTS VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH OUR UNBELIEVABLE OIL INDUSTRY AND OUR INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH WE ARE ALSO PROUD OF. WHETHER YOU'RE COMING FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY, CULTURE, SPORTS, OR GREAT FOOD, HOUSTON HAS IT ALL TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN ITALY. AND, UH, THIS KIND OF CONNECTIVITY MATTERS. IT FUELS TOURISM ALL OF OUR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. WE, YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED AT ALL THE BUSINESS BETWEEN TEXAS COMPANIES AND, AND THAT DO BUSINESS RIGHT HERE IN ITALY. SO WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH EDA, FOR HAVING THE FAITH IN US. PLEASE, HOUSTONIANS, DO NOT LET ME DOWN. I PROMISE THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT THIS. SO PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW AND LET'S SHOW THEM HOW STRONG WE ARE IN HOUSTON. THIS VISION STRENGTHENS ITALY, EUROPE, AND OUR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. AND MAYOR, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR GREAT LEADERSHIP IN HOUSTON. YOU HELP BRING THIS TOGETHER WITH US. THANK YOU EVERYBODY, AND YOUR THANK YOU AGAIN, SIR, FOR BEING A GREAT LEADER OF EA AIRLINES FOR, FOR STEPPING UP AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN. WELL, THANK YOU TILLMAN. AND IF YOU NEED MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE JOB I'M DOING AS MAYOR, UH, , WE, WE, WE WILL EXTEND YOUR TIME. BUT THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU HELPING ME, UH, HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE BRING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE AND I KNOW THIS IS HOW THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL. WE DON'T CARE ABOUT PARTY IDENTIFICATION, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR LEGACY. WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE NOT ONLY FOR HOUSTON, BUT FOR ROME. AND SO THIS IS CERTAINLY GONNA PROVIDE THE GATEWAY OF ALL OF EUROPE, ALL OF ITALY. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION, UH, AT THIS TIME. JIM SEMAN ACT. WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO THE BUSHING OR NATIONAL AIRPORT, UH, HOW YOU PULL THIS TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR STAFFING IN TERMS OF GATE OPPORTUNITY AND, AND MAKING IT A WISE BUSINESS DECISION. SURE. THANK YOU MAYOR. SO, VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE AGAIN, THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IS TO CONNECT THE PEOPLE, UH, BUSINESSES, CULTURES, AND ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD WITH HOUSTON. AND THIS IS PROOF PERFECT OF THAT. UH, I REALLY WANNA THANK THE MAYOR [00:15:01] AND, AND THE AMBASSADOR FOR REALLY HELPING US WITH, UH, GETTING, UH, EDITA TO, TO SUPPORT THIS ROUTE. AND EDITA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING FAITH IN HOUSTON. UH, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT THIS MEANS, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FROM A CULTURE PERSPECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT OURS, BUT ALSO FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? SO THE ECONOMY OF HOUSTON AND ROME, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT ITALY DOES IN HOUSTON, IT'S ABOUT $10 BILLION PER YEAR. UM, IF WE LOOK AT FROM A COMPANY'S PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE OVER 40 HOUSTON BASED SUBSIDIARIES THAT HAVE PRESENCE IN ROME. SO THIS GIVES THEM NONSTOP ACCESS, UH, TO THEIR, TO THEIR MARKETS. AND THEN ON THE COMING BACK HERE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ITALIAN BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HEADQUARTERS HERE IN, IN HOUSTON. AND IT'S GONNA MAKE IT MUCH MORE, UH, UH, EASY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, BASED IN, IN HOUSTON, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THIS NEW FLIGHT THAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP MAKE TRANSITIONS EASIER. AND YOU THINK ABOUT FROM AN OIL AND GAS PERSPECTIVE, UM, ITALY'S LARGEST OIL AND GAS COMPANY, E AND I, THEIR NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IS RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. AND SO NOW THOSE EXECUTIVES HAVE THE ABILITY TO EASILY CATCH THIS FLIGHT AND SHUTTLE THEMSELVES BACK AND FORTH. IF WE LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ITALIAN ECONOMY AND THE HOUSTON ECONOMY, THIS GIVES US NOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ITALIAN COMPANIES AND TRY AND ATTRACT MORE OF THEM TO MOVE AND LOCATE THEIR US HEADQUARTERS, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THIS GREAT SERVICE NOW. UH, AND THEN AGAIN, FROM A HOUSTON PERSPECTIVE, NOW WE'VE GOT ACCESS TO, TO ITALY. BEEN THERE ONCE IN MY LIFE. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. UM, AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO JUMP ON THIS FLIGHT AND GO OVER THERE AND REALLY CONNECT THESE TWO FOOD CAPITALS. 'CAUSE IF YOU GO OVER TO ITALY, THE FOOD THERE IS FANTASTIC. AND IF YOU COME HERE IN HOUSTON, WE'VE GOT A FANTASTIC FOOD CULTURE. SO I THINK THAT THOSE TWO ARE REALLY GONNA COME TOGETHER TO, UH, GREATLY. SO VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY. I MEAN, THIS IS, AS AN AIRPORT DIRECTOR, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING YOU REALLY WORK FOR. UH, I REALLY WANNA THANK JCA AND MY TEAM, UH, WHO DOES THE HARD WORK. 'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY EASY. THERE'S LOTS OF CITIES THAT ARE TRYING TO COMPETE FOR THIS NONSTOP FLIGHT. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY LIMITED AIRPLANES THAT THE, THESE AIRLINES HAVE. AND SO FOR US TO SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO ATTRACT THIS TO HOUSTON JUST REALLY TALKS ABOUT HOW GREAT THE HOUSTON ECONOMY IS, AGAIN, THE LEADERSHIP THAT THE MAYOR PROVIDES FOR US BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THIS GREAT WORKING ENV, UH, COOPERATIVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, REALLY TRYING TO PUSH HOUSTON FORWARD, UM, THAT SPEAKS AND IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO ATTRACT THIS AND REALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT HE'S ALSO HOUSTON'S KIND OF CHIEF SALESPERSON OVER THERE. SO THANK YOU TO THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE HARD WORK THAT HE DID TO KIND OF HELP PULL THIS OFF. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, DATA THAT YOU GAVE US ON THE, UH, IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND OUR CULTURAL EXCHANGES. AND, UH, IT'S JUST A GREAT DAY TO, UH, COME TO WORK AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THIS IS WHY WE ALL RUN FOR OFFICE. THIS IS WHY WE, UH, ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND, UH, I, I REALIZE IT TOOK EVERYONE THAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED THIS MORNING. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ITALIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER COMMERCE, OUR LOCAL, UH, COUNCIL GENERAL. IT'S JUST SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS THAT STEPPED UP. BUT I REALLY, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE, UH, HOUSTONIANS THAT, UH, ARE ITALIANS IN IN THEIR HERITAGE. IT JUST REALLY LETS THEM KNOW THAT WE, WE VALUE THEIR CONTRIBUTION, THEIR BUSINESS, THEIR, THEIR FAITH AND THEIR ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTIONS THEY MAKE, UH, HOUSTON EVEN A GREATER CITY. SO THANK YOU TO OUR ITALIAN AMERICAN COMMITTEE. THANK YOU TO THE BUSINESS, THE AIRLINE, THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, AND UH, IT JUST SHOWS WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU, UH, HAVE A CAN-DO ATTITUDE. I KNOW FOR A FACT, AS A HOUSTONIAN, AS A FORMER LEGISLATOR, THIS HAS BEEN THE ASPIRATION AND DESIRE OF CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE AIRPORT SYSTEM FOR YEARS, BUT IT JUST NEVER HAPPENED UNTIL THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY. SO THE EXCITEMENT IS THE INAUGURAL FLIGHT IS MAY ONE. EVERYONE GET EXCITED, GET YOUR TICKET. I THINK JUST TILLMAN'S EMPLOYEES ALONE WILL KEEP THE PLANES FULL FOR, FOR MONTHS TO COME. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TAKING THE FLIGHT . THANK YOU. AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONS OF, UH, OF ANY OF US? I KNOW TILLMAN AND MR. EVERHART HAD TO ATTEND OTHER MEETINGS, BUT, UH, LET'S, UH, LET'S CELEBRATE TODAY AND GO TO WORK. THANK Y'ALL. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.