DFW International Airport Hosts 3,000 Students In First-Ever Aviation And Transportation Career Expo

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (December 16, 2004) – In an effort to provide hands-on educational opportunities to area students, DFW International Airport joins forces with the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines to host the firstever Aviation and Transportation Career Expo. This year’s Expo is themed ”Get Moving in the Right Direction--Non-Stop Success” and is the first large scale event created to allow first through twelfth grade students in North Texas to receive an introduction to potential careers in aviation and transportation.

Staged inside an American Airlines maintenance hangar at DFW International Airport, the Expo’s main draw includes static aircraft displays, vehicle displays, and hands-on demonstrations and exhibits. The Aviation and Transportation Career Expo also features representatives from industry, government and academia, all available to answer questions and talk directly to students and teachers. DFW’s community outreach programs focus primarily on aviation and education for North Texas.

More than 35 agencies, companies and organizations including the Texas Department of Transportation, General Motors and Lockheed Martin provided the displays of static aircraft and vehicles, and also informational materials to the more than 3,000 students in attendance.

“Seeing so many students here today gives us a very positive outlook for the future of our business,” says Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW Airport. “We are pleased to provide the setting for these students to imagine themselves in a cockpit or at the forefront of new technology in a transportation-related career.” 

Students also heard a presentation by aviation prodigy Jamail Larkins, the youngest air show performer in America and a spokesman for the EAA Young Eagles Program.

“There are many different opportunities that most people don't relate directly to the aviation industry, like business opportunities, government jobs, aeronautical engineering, computer engineering and others,” says the 20-year-old Larkin, now a junior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “I want to let students know these opportunities exist, and get a few more young people to join the aviation industry."

As the national spokesman for Careers in Aviation, a non-profit organization that promotes and provides aviation opportunities to young people, Larkins travels nationwide to encourage students to discover the potential rewards of a career in aviation or transportation.

Participating companies and organizations at the Expo include: DFW International Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, Texas DOT Aviation Department, City of Dallas Aviation Department, Fort Worth Transportation Authority ("The T"), DART, Peterbilt Motor Company, General Motors, Texas Motor Speedway, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), Air BP, Houston Airport System, Frito-Lay Aviation, US Flight Academy, National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees, Federal Highway Administration, Fort Worth Chapter- 99s, Antique Aircraft, Civil Air Patrol USAF Auxiliary, NBAA, Vintage Flying Museum, Frontiers of Flight Museum/NOTAAM, AeroVents.com, Texas Air National Guard, Air Tractor Inc., Lockheed Martin, EAA Chapter 34, Trajen, FBO Network, Longhorn Helicopter Inc., Howell Aircraft Service, Texas Pneumatic Systems, American Eurocopter LLC, Weber Aircraft, Sky Helicopters, Inc., Ft. Worth Star Telegram NIE, Operation Lifesaver-TX, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway-BNSF, National Academy of RR Science (NARS), Tarrant County College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Mountain View College, University of Texas-Arlington, WFAA-TV and FFE Transportation. Radio Disney, KMKI AM 620, provided music and entertainment for the day’s events. 

Editors: To arrange interviews, contact Ken Capps, Vice President, Public Affairs at 972-574-8080 or kcapps@dfwairport.com. ###