US airline JetBlue took its signature Fly Like a Girl event to Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.
Fort Lauderdale is one of the airline’s six focus cities, and Saturday, April 1 marked the first time visit for the career event.
Supporting women in aviation
Fly Like a Girl events offer young women access to different careers in the aviation industry and the opportunity to learn directly from women crewmembers who help keep the airline running.
The Fort Lauderdale event supported more than 100 local youth ages 8-14 as they joined JetBlue to learn more and inspire interest about careers in aviation.
The weekend event was led by Ursula Hurley, JetBlue’s chief financial officer and president of the JetBlue Foundation.
Local government officials, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz who represents Florida’s 23rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Senator Nan Rich, Vice Mayor Broward County, were in attendance.
“We are excited to bring our signature Fly Like a Girl event to our beloved Fort Lauderdale focus city for the first time, furthering our commitments to our South Florida communities and beyond,” said Ursula Hurley, president of the JetBlue Foundation.
[monsterinsights_popular_posts_inline]
“Through our Fly Like a Girl event, we can inspire more young girls to see themselves within the aviation industry and STEM fields by having them interact and learn from our incredible women crewmembers who continue to pave the way for future generations of aviators.”
“I commend JetBlue Airways for encouraging young girls to pursue a career in aviation,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz.
“Aviation is a field that is traditionally and heavily male dominated. Programs like this one will help expand opportunities for young girls to increase female representation in the industry.”
About ‘Fly Like a Girl’
Fly Like a Girl is JetBlue’s annual event that aims to promote interest in Science, Education, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) fields and reach future aviators as early as possible to showcase the various career possibilities in the aviation industry.
The airline’s commitment to diversity is focused on creating opportunities like Fly Like a Girl across its network.
The JetBlue Foundation and JetBlue’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility teams share a common goal of ensuring more women are present in the hangars, airports, corporate offices and boardrooms of the future.
Through leading by example, JetBlue’s Women in Flight CRG aims to foster and encourage girls to follow a STEM path.
JetBlue’s Fly Like a Girl event, held this year at Jetscape Services in Fort Lauderdale, offered girls access to different careers in the aviation industry and the opportunity to learn directly from women crewmembers.
The girls not only had the opportunity to interact with women JetBlue crewmembers, but they were also able to board an Airbus A320 aircraft.
Guests included students from JetBlue Foundation partner organizations and family members of JetBlue crewmembers.
Participants were part of a series of experimental activities, briefings and professional panels with crewmembers from different branches of the airline including pilots, brand design managers, technical operators, and more.
JetBue expansion plans
the Fort Lauderdale event followed closely on the heels of JetBlue’s recent announcement of plans to provide more flight services in the South and Central Florida region.
After its planned merger with Spirit, JetBlue expects to reach more than 250 flights a day at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and 200 in Orlando by 2027.
