I strongly believe that next month's Chicago meeting and this week's Summit in Washington are both part of a larger process of global economic integration that will dominate the first part of the next century. It is our hope that the aviation community of this generation will complete the process that FDR put in motion more than a half-century ago. Aviation brings families together across continents and links customers to businesses across oceans. The business we are in is a people business. And in the 21 st century, aviation can be the key to economic development and a better quality of life for even the poorest nations.
Transportation is the tie that binds.
We can, in short, put a human face on the global economy. With that in mind, this week's aviation infrastructure Summit is not just a major forum for problem solving. This is also an opportunity to advance the entire human agenda.