NEW YORK CITY (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented keys to the city to US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and his crew, thanking them "for sparing our city and so many families from an awful tragedy."

"It is now my great pleasure to introduce five real American heroes," Bloomberg said at the City Hall ceremony. "I certainly hope that you feel at home here. And you should. New York City .. is a city full of heroes."

Sullenberger ditched Flight 1549 in the frigid water of the Hudson River on Jan. 15 after a flock of birds disabled both of the plane's engines just minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. All 155 people aboard survived.

The presentation came after a weekend media blitz for the hero pilot, co-pilot and three flight attendants including interviews Sunday evening on CBS' "60 Minutes" and Monday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America" and CBS' "The Early Show."

Sullenberger and his family also were the toast of Broadway Saturday night when they received a standing ovation from the audience at "South Pacific" and went backstage to meet the cast of the musical, which recounts the heroic stories of a group of American aviators, nurses and sailors during World War II.

During the event with the mayor, Sullenberger emphasized that while he's gotten a lot of the credit for the emergency landing, it was a team effort, and he praised the crew, first responders and the passengers.

Bloomberg, presenting the honors on behalf of "8.3 million grateful New Yorkers," said the city felt "a strong connection" to the story - dubbed the miracle on the Hudson - "because these brave individuals who managed to save every single passenger on that flight lived ... an ideal that ... we all aspire to."

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