NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– On Saturday, October 19, JetBlue hosted its 10 th annual Fly Like a Girl event in Boston, one of the airline’s major focus cities. Fly Like a Girl offers girls direct access to learn about different careers in the aviation industry from JetBlue’s female crewmembers who play an integral role in the airline’s success in the sky and on the ground. In partnership with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and JetBlue’s Women in Flight Crewmember Resource Group (CRG), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team, Corporate Social Responsibility team and the JetBlue Foundation, the event supported more than 100 local youth ages 8-14 as they joined JetBlue to learn more and inspire careers in aviation.
As the first and only U.S. airline led by a female CEO, JetBlue sets an example with over 30 percent female representation at the officer and director levels. The JetBlue Gateways pilot and technician programs breaks traditional barriers, with females representing more than a quarter of all Gateways participants and nearly half of participants in Gateways designed to provide career development for current JetBlue crewmembers. In Boston, local and government partners supported JetBlue’s event including U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley and Mia Healy-Waldron, Deputy Director of Aviation Customer Service at Massport.
“We are proud to be Boston’s favorite airline, and there is no better way to celebrate continued growth in our Northeast network than with an impactful event for the region’s next generation of aviation professionals,” said Ursula Hurley, president of the JetBlue Foundation and JetBlue’s chief financial officer. “This year’s Fly Like a Girl signifies 10 years of breaking down barriers of entry into aviation for underrepresented groups. We are excited to provide opportunities like this through the JetBlue Foundation, which champions diversity in STEM education and creates career pathways into our exciting industry.”
“I am so proud to help mark 10 years of JetBlue’s Fly Like a Girl, which celebrates our girls’ brilliance, stokes their consciousness, and encourages them to dream big,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). “Thank you to the JetBlue team for its commitment to our next generation. And to the young women in attendance, know you are worth every investment and opportunity just because you are you. The sky is the limit.”
“Through events like Fly Like a Girl, we are not only educating young women on the various careers in aviation but empowering and inspiring the next generation of women aviators,” said Mia Healy-Waldron, Deputy Director of Aviation Customer Service at Massport. “Massport is thrilled to participate in this year’s event and proud to support JetBlue’s mission to increase women’s representation in the industry.”
Participants of this year’s Fly Like a Girl event were part of a series of hands-on activities, demonstrations and educational stations with JetBlue crewmembers from different workgroups of the airline. Students met with various members from the airline including 10 female pilots, brand design managers, technical operators, and more. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour an Airbus A321 aircraft and explored ground operations facilities like the baggage and cargo areas.
“One of the most proactive ways we can fulfill JetBlue’s mission to bring humanity back to air travel is to inspire future aviators by showing them the many career pathways in our industry, the level of diverse representation we have at JetBlue and the work we are doing to foster inclusivity in aviation,” said Icema Gibbs, JetBlue’s vice president of CSR and DEI. “Our Fly Like a Girl event brings our crewmembers and communities together for an immersive, hands-on learning experience where students receive exposure to the aviation industry.”
JetBlue’s Fly Like a Girl event arrived on the heels of its recent announcement to invest and grow across New England, adding 20 percent more seats in the region by this winter. JetBlue is proud to bring events like Fly Like a Girl to communities throughout its network as they underscore the JetBlue Foundation’s commitment to foster early interest in aviation. Learn more at jetbluefoundation.org.
