The Lehigh Valley will be the subject of a 24-page supplement in next month’s issue of its in-flight magazine, American Way. The airline serves nearly 200 million passengers each year. (photo courtesy American Airlines)

American Airlines is the largest airline in the world, serving nearly 200 million passengers a year. Soon, as those passengers settle into their seats and pick up their in-flight magazines, they’ll be reading all about the Lehigh Valley.

The region will be the subject of a 24-page supplement in next month’s issue of American Way, the most-read in-flight magazine in the world, highlighting the Lehigh Valley for millions of readers on an international platform bestowed on only a select few regions each year.

“The Lehigh Valley is in the midst of an economic renaissance,” said Carsten Morgan, Vice President of Special Projects for the London-based Ink Global, which publishes the magazine.

“The commercial landscape of today’s and tomorrow’s economy is vastly different than the stigmas and misnomers associated with the community,” Morgan said. “This is a story that hasn’t been presented to a global audience on this scale.”

The supplement feature, called Spotlight Lehigh Valley, is an economic development series that takes a detailed look at what makes a certain region a great place to invest, visit, or relocate, with a particular focus on global economic impact, business diversity, and innovation.

The cover of the American Airlines Spotlight supplement featuring Miami, which was the subject of the last issue.

American Airlines offers 6,700 flights daily to 350 destinations in 50 countries. Past communities to be featured in Spotlight include Miami, St. Louis, Orlando, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Arizona.

“Opportunities to highlight the Lehigh Valley on a worldwide stage like this do not come along often,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). “This will bring us to the attention of millions of readers, including those at the forefront of company relocation and corporate real estate decisions.”

A launch party for the magazine will be held at LVIA on Wednesday, June 28, during which time the cover and inside pages will be revealed for the first time. Learn more details and pre-register for the free event here.

Spotlight Lehigh Valley will answer the questions today’s corporate leaders are seeking, including what makes the region unique, how does the region address the changing economic landscape, who are its corporate and community leaders, and what is the draw for a company or individual looking to relocate.

“We at Discover Lehigh Valley are incredibly honored that Lehigh Valley should be recognized as a significant destination by American Way magazine,” said Michael Stershic, President of Discover Lehigh Valley. “The opportunity to tell our story to a traveling public has incredible promotional power for the tourism industry.”

American Way ranks #1 nationally for readers who work for enterprise-sized companies with more than 1,000 employees, and one quarter of its readers are employed in management, business, or financial occupations, the highest amount of any national publication except for The Wall Street Journal.

“The Lehigh Valley has an amazing opportunity to be viewed as the shining example of revitalization and perseverance for millions of people around the globe, with our airport helping to drive economic development while providing the community a first class travel experience,” said Charles Everett, Executive Director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.

LVEDC and Discover Lehigh Valley provided assistance to the reporting in Spotlight and helped arrange interviews with companies and individuals in the Lehigh Valley. Roughly 25 percent of the flights coming in and out of Lehigh Valley International Airport are from American Airlines.