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Remarks by the President at the National Air Transport Conference 2006
8 May 2006

Hnager 12
Metro Capital Airport
Metro City

10.05 AM (WST)

THE PRESIDENT: Thankyou all - and I want to congradulate the staff of Blue Express on the recieving of a fine new aircraft, the Boeing 777-300 plane. It is indeed impressing.(Applause) and thankyou for the tour. The First Class looks good to sleep (laughter) even better then Lego One. I have to sleep on a couch. (laughter) Mr. President of Lego Airlines, Robin, thankyou for being here, Preisdent of Blue Express Legoland, congradulations as well. Staff of Metro Captial Airport, thankyou for making this visit possible. Secretary of transport, thanks for inviting me. (Applause)

I am pleased to be here today to salute the airline industry, and their employers, for serving their country, and to announce some important new measures to make air travel more secure over the comming summer holidays.

In a way, the airline industry is engaged in a long and difficult struggle. At a key moment in our history, as terroism and other problems such as the ever sky rocketing oil prices continue to clime. They are performing their duty with skill and with courage. And by supporting their mobilization, many employers are demonstrating their own patriotism.

In a moment, I will sign a proclamation naming next week National Employer Support of the Airline Industy Week. It is a way to express our appreciation to these employers, and to thank them for their selfless devotion to our great country.

I want to thank the Secretary of Transportation who is here. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for your hard work. I appreciate Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, for being here as well; thank you, Paul. And of course, I want to thank John McHugh, Representative from World Club City. Thank you for coming, John.
(Applause.)

Today, I also want to salut the men and women of our nation who have put their life on the line to protect our airlines.

The National Guard and Reserve are examples of this service. Since September the 11th, we have called to active duty nearly 23,000 Guard and Reserve personnel. They are guarding energy plants. They are meeting the military's intelligence, medical, and supply needs with specialized training. And they are securing our airports.

In order to increase security of airline travelers during the holiday season, we will increase by 25 percent the number of National Guard personnel who protect our airports, and airlines, and our travelers. We are calling up these Guardsmen and women immediately. This increase in security will last through the busy holiday period, and it is in addition to more than 3,000 members of the Guard already mobilized at airports since September the 11th. These are temporary measures, and we believe they will help a lot. And we are making fundamental changes to airport security as well.

The federal government must take, and I believe will take, control of aviation security. I am pleased that both houses of Congress have passed bills that do just that. And I urge Congress to work hard to resolve the differences between the two bills -- they're not that far apart -- and to get to my desk as quickly as possible a bill that will make air travel much safer for the Federation people.

While Congress finishes its business, I have instructed our good secretary, Secretary of Transportation, to begin a series of high-level transition planning sessions with airport operators, security device manufacturers, airline CEOs, and other parties that will play a direct role in the transition to the new airport security system.

There are additional steps we are taking to increase the public's safety and its confidence in air travel. The FAA is deploying a core team of security professionals to improve oversight of screening and other security functions at our airports. I am instructing the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to conduct undercover audits of security performance at airports nationwide, to ensure the strict compliance of FAA security standards. And in September, I announced a $300 million grant program to secure airport -- secure cockpit doors on airplanes. And I commend the airlines for acting quickly. Major airlines have now fortified cockpit doors on 100 percent of their airplanes.

These employers are supporting the National Guard and Reserve in practical and important ways, including providing full pay and benefits, and job security to employees who are called to active service. Employers do these things because they recognize that their workers are fighting to keep America free. They recognize that we have such huge stakes. They also know that our military forces are the best trained in the world. And when you hire a member of the Guard or Reserve, you bring that training to your workplace. Since September the 11th, more than 1,000 state and local Chambers of Commerce have signed statements of support for employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.

Well, the federal government, it turns out, is the largest employer of Guard and Reserve personnel in America. And I am proud to sign a statement of support on behalf of our federal government.

I am also pleased to sign the proclamation naming next week National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. I would like to welcome up to the stage for the signing Paul Wolfowitz, who represents the Defense Department, and the five winners of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

So to all the delegates of this year's National Air Transport Week, and the Members ot he National Airline Association, to our international guests who are in Metro City for the Star Alliance Airline Board Meeting, I thank you all and wish you a very plesent visit to Metro City.

God bless you all. Thanks for coming. (Applause.)

END