Passengers boarding American
Airlines Flight 174 on May 26 will be treated to an anniversary
celebration commemorating 10 years of American Airlines service from
Raleigh/Durham International Airport to London Gatwick Airport. With daily
service using Boeing 777 aircraft, American Airlines is the only carrier
to offer nonstop service on the route. “Raleigh/Durham has been an important market since 1985, and American
welcomes the opportunity to provide customers with what they value—a
vast network offering increased access to destinations worldwide,” said
David Cush, vice president-Passenger Sales for American Airlines.

On average, American Airlines carries more than 90,000 passengers annually
on the RDU-LGW route.

In celebration, American Airlines and the Raleigh/Durham Airport Authority
will host a reception at 5 p.m. on May 26. The reception will be held in
the Kitty Hawk Suite, located in Terminal C of the airport, for community
and business leaders, agency and corporate partners, and passengers
traveling on Flight 174. A British ambience will set the tone of the
reception and ceremony. Volunteers in Beefeater costumes will greet
customers at both RDU and LGW gates. The British flag will fly at the
ticket counter and a backdrop of Big Ben will hang in the reception area.

As the lucky winner of the “London Getaway” radio promotion, Southern
Pines, N.C. resident David Adinolfi will be on the American Airlines 10th
anniversary flight. David will be traveling with his wife, Gail, on the
couple’s first trip to London. Along with two roundtrip tickets, they were
given complimentary accommodations and spending money.

“RDU has enjoyed a fine relationship with American Airlines for 19 years,”
said John Brantley, airport director, Raleigh/Durham Airport Authority.
“The daily service operated by American between RDU and London Gatwick for
the past 10 years is the airport’s premier flight and is of tremendous
importance to the Triangle region and the state of North Carolina. That it
has been so strongly and successfully supported by our passengers and
shippers over all of that time is a great testament to our people and
businesses and to their desire to fly American.”

More than 200 passengers scheduled for the flight will receive 10-year
anniversary note cards created by local artist Jerry Miller. The
anniversary note cards will feature an American 777 aircraft, Big Ben and
the London Bridge. As the flight departs, the airport fire department will
provide a water-cannon salute to recognize the milestone flight.

American Airlines has provided service to area travelers since 1985.
Together American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection provide
nearly 70 daily nonstop departures to sixteen airports—Boston; Chicago;
Columbus; Dallas/Fort Worth; Fort Lauderdale; Hartford; Newark; New York
Kennedy; New York La Guardia; London Gatwick; Orlando; Miami; Nassau, the
Bahamas; Philadelphia; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C.

Raleigh/Durham passengers can take advantage of the American Airlines
Admirals Club(R), which offers customers a restful environment to relax or
work. Members can access their corporate intranet, email and the Internet
all at T-1 speeds with T-Mobile(R) HotSpot wireless Internet service.

American Airlines and American Eagle currently employ more than 1,300
local people in the Triangle area, including more than 400 at
Raleigh/Durham International Airport and nearly 900 at the Southeastern
Reservation Office located in Cary, N.C., which opened in 1988.
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