[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 82 (Thursday, May 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING DELTA AIRLINES ON ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SERVICE TO THE 
                        NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN

                    of the northern mariana islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 29, 2014

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, twenty-five years ago on June 1, 1989, Delta 
Air Lines launched its first flight in a twice weekly service from 
Tokyo's Narita airport to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. 
Operated then as Northwest Airlines and using a Boeing 747-200, this 
inaugural flight was a milestone in air service to my district; and I 
want to celebrate that event today.
   Then and now, tourism is the lifeblood of our islands' economy; and 
this air connection with Japan, begun twenty-five years ago, has been 
essential to the growth and stability of our visitor industry. Other 
airlines have come and gone from the market, but Delta's commitment has 
been unwavering.
   Today, the company is the only airline providing direct, scheduled, 
daily flights to and from Japan, carrying some 2,000 passengers per 
week on Boeing 757s. And these numbers add up: in the past ten years 
23,000 Delta flights have provided seats for 4.25 million of our 
Japanese tourists.
   Those flights to the Northern Marianas are, of course, only a tiny 
part of Delta's worldwide business. The company serves nearly 165 
million passengers annually, flies to over 300 destinations worldwide, 
and employs almost 80,000 individuals. But those daily Japan/Marianas 
flights are crucial to our local economy, supporting numerous 
businesses and creating jobs.
   And not only does Delta transport tourists. For many of the 
residents of the Northern Mariana Islands, whether traveling for 
business or pleasure, Delta is the airline of choice. The company 
provides a comfortable lounge at the Narita Airport hub and convenient 
connections: Delta is the only U.S. flag air carrier offering our 
community one-stop service to the mainland United States.
   Delta stands out, too, for its good corporate citizenship, 
supporting many worthy groups and causes, including the Rotary Club of 
Saipan, the American Red Cross, the Marianas March Against Cancer, the 
Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Saipan Chamber 
of Commerce, NMI Crime Stoppers, the Northern Mariana Islands Council 
for the Humanities, and numerous sporting events. Of special note, 
Delta has been the sole airline sponsor for the Saipan Marathon since 
2008.
   Please, join me in honoring the management and employees of Delta 
Air Lines as we commemorate their twenty-five years of air service 
between the Northern Mariana Islands and Japan, and in wishing them 
many more years of continued success and growth.

                          ____________________