For Immediate Release
October 25, 2023
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
laxpr@lawa.org
Local high school students view aircraft from four airline partners (top), JetBlue Airways pilot speaks to students in the flight deck (bottom left), Students board U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter (bottom right).
(Los Angeles, CA) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is proud to announce record-breaking student participation at today's Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Aviation Career Day where more than 1,100 local high school students engaged with aviation companies and agencies to learn about career paths in the industry.
The 8th annual event, which is held on the airfield ramp at the Flight Path Museum, featured commercial aircraft, equipment demonstrations, and a career fair with representatives from more than 30 agencies including airlines, law enforcement, construction and more.
“As we welcome hundreds of local students to the airport for LAX Aviation Career Day, we aim to ignite their interest in the aviation industry with an opportunity to explore a wide range of career options and connect with industry experts,” said, Bea Hsu, Interim Chief Executive Officer, LAWA. “From airline pilots, to mechanics, to construction workers – the industry has thousands of critical roles to fill, and we thank our partners for helping LAWA cultivate the next generation of local talented aviation professionals and ensure a successful future for our industry.”
Four commercial aircraft, including an American Airlines Boeing 777-300, Boeing 737s from Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and an Airbus A321 from JetBlue Airways, were open for tours and photos. Pilots, flight attendants, and other representatives of those carriers and Southwest Airlines were on hand to discuss a variety of careers. Students enthusiastically lined up to sit in the cockpit and explore new features on the planes. NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center displayed a T-34C aircraft used for pilot proficiency and testing new technology. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had a helicopter on display.
Students could also find out more about jobs with federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), whose representatives participated for the first time this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), CBP, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The Los Angeles Airport Police, Los Angeles Fire Department and California Highway Patrol spoke to students about the role of first-responders in aviation.
A number of local community colleges and California State University Los Angeles were at the event to talk to attendees about opportunities to further their education. Several construction firms that are involved in projects at LAX also spoke to students about their roles at the airport.
Students attended from 13 Los Angeles Unified School District schools, including Bell Senior High, Bernstein Night School, Bravo Medical Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Gardena Senior High, Garfield High, Hilda Solis Leading Academy, Jefferson High, King Drew Medical Magnet, Nava College Prep Academy, Roosevelt Senior High and Washington Pre High School.
Other nearby participating schools included Culver City, DaVinci, El Segundo, Hawthorne and four Inglewood USD high schools. Students also attended from Canyon and Corona high schools, which each have aviation education programs.
A link to photos and b-roll can be viewed here.
Delta Air Lines pilot speaks to students on the flight deck (top left), Students view NASA's T-34C aircraft (top right), FBI is one of more than 30 agencies to exhibit at Aviation Career Day (bottom left), Representatives from the TSA speak with students (bottom right).
LAX, the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million guests in 2022, is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary, revenue-generating department of the City of Los Angeles that also governs Van Nuys Airport (VNY). As the international gateway to the Southern California region, LAX and its partners are dedicated to meeting global airport standards for customer satisfaction, safety, regional economic leadership, organizational performance and sustainability.
To better serve the millions of domestic and international guests that travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rental Car Facility and two projects that will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0. For more information about LAX, its transformation and its environmental, social and local workforce commitments, please visit flylax.com. Follow LAX on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
