Yahoo Lifestyle Mayor Lily Wu Says Wichita Was 'Honored' to Receive Direct Flight Route to D.C. Last Year, Cities Will Be 'Forever' Linked
"This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas," the mayor said in an emotional press conference on Jan. 30
The two cities involved in the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 will be “forever” linked, according to Wichita, Kan. Mayor Lily Wu.
“We mourn with all those who have been impacted,” Wu said in an emotional press conference on Thursday, Jan. 30. “This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas, forever.”
One year ago, the city celebrated the start of the once-a-day direct route from Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to Reagan National Airport, a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 operated by American Eagle.
“We were very honored to have gotten that flight,” Wu said.
The mayor shared on Thursday that the Wichita community had been “so excited to have the opportunity to host the [U.S. Figure Skating] national championship.”
"It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating right here in the capital,” she said.
Among the 60 passengers onboard the regional jet that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River at approximately 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Jan. 29 included several members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, who were returning from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.
NBC; Alex Wong/Getty
Lily Wu (left); The scene of American Airlines flight 5342 after crashing into the Potomac RiverThe 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships had been held in the city last week.
Among those on the plane were 1994 pairs figure skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, Reuters and The Guardian, citing the TASS and RIA news agencies in Russia, reported.
A prayer service, hosted by the Greater Wichita Ministerial League, will be held at 12 p.m. local time on Thursday in the council chambers at City Hall, The Wichita Eagle reported.
“Our community needs to come together to support the family members who have been impacted, to come together in honor of those individuals on that flight,” Wu said.
The mayor also noted on Thursday morning that the city did not currently have the flight manifest and could not yet determine how many victims were from Kansas.
She added, “Our hearts are heavy as a city.”
Read the original article on People
