Bill Text: VA HJR243 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Air India.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-02-22 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ243ER) [HJR243 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR243-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Air India began offering nonstop service from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to Dulles International Airport in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Air India's inaugural flight to Dulles International Airport touched down on July 7, 2017, and was greeted with a gate-side Indian prayer ceremony, a ribbon cutting, and a special luncheon for dignitaries; and
WHEREAS, Dulles International Airport is the fifth location in the United States to offer direct service to India via the airline; Air India will operate three nonstop, round-trip flights from the airport every week; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, more than 122,000 people visited the National Capital region from India, and that number is expected to increase, especially thanks to Air India's flights to Dulles; and
WHEREAS, Air India's direct service is expected to bring an additional 30,000 tourists and business travelers to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, which will have an estimated economic impact of $30 million; and
WHEREAS, Air India will receive tourism assistance from the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Capital Region USA, and Destination DC to maximize travel on this new, convenient route; and
WHEREAS, Virginia is home to a large Indian American population, and Air India's direct flights to Dulles will continue to strengthen the Commonwealth's significant relationship with India; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Air India on the occasion of its inaugural nonstop flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to Dulles International Airport; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Air India as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the airline's efforts to make the Commonwealth and the National Capital region welcoming to international travelers.
