Pan Am...a player in international diplomacy

I am copying an article from the October 22, 1987 issue of the Pan Am
Clipper, an in-house publication for Pan Am. In this article, the
writer talks about how the airline provided air transportation and
meet/greet services for diplomats from around the world. I am
wondering if there is another airline that fulfills this same postion
today. If nothing else, enjoy this snippet of history...

U.N General Assembly Keeps Pan Am in Diplomatic Spotlight

The 42nd United Nations General Assembly is in full swing in New York
and, one again,the arrival of diplomatic leaders from around the world
has put Pan Am in the a highly favorable spotlight. Pan Am is
considered the official carrier of the United Nations because most the
delegates fly Pan Am from their countries to New York. Heads of
State, Kings, Presidents and Foreign Ministers who arrive in New York
aboard their own state-owned aircraft find Pan Am waiting for them
when they land at JFK. And those with business to conduct in
Washington during their visit to the United Nations, often fly the Pan
Am Shuttle.

"It's not just by chance that Pan Am attracts so many key dignitaries
traveling to New York for the General Assembly," says Sho Ohkagawa,
System Director-Protocol. "The United Sates Secret Service and the
State Department select Pan Am to handle diplomatic arrivals because
of our experience, our vast language capabilities, and our security,
both at the WorldPort and at the Hangar 14 run-up area, where we meet
the delegations arriving on their own aircraft." Ohkagawa says the
Pan Am Shuttle is selected for diplomatic travel to Washington because
of the secure nature of the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia.

This September, Pan Am handled the arrivals of delegations from 42
countries from the Soviet Union and Poland to Japan and both North and
South Korea, to the People' Republic of China, to Burma and Nepal,
among others. "We personally handled the arrivals of one King, eight
Presidents, five Prime Ministers, and 26 foreign ministers at JFK,"
Ohkagawa said, "and it all went smoothly thanks to the close teamwork
between our foreign stations and the Passenger Service Team at the
WorldPort." snip snip...

This year, the diplomatic lounge, located inside the private terminals
for First Class and Clipper Class passengers got a lot of use,
according to Ohkagawa. "The delegations really appreciated the
additional level of service we could provide there, and the State
Department and Secret Service found the area met all of their special
security needs," he said.

snip snip..."It's really an honor for Pan Am," he said. "Our work
with the U.N. and the delgations helps us improve our relationships
with the countries involved. It enhances our image around the world,
and I can assure you that the respect we have earned in the 42 years
of the United Nations General Assembly reflects proudly on all of the
employees of Pan Am."