Four Thousand Students Descend on DFW International Airport For Eighth Annual Aviation and Transportation Career Expo

(DFW AIRPORT, TX – December 9, 2011) – More than four thousand students turned out today for the 2011 Aviation & Transportation Career Expo today at DFW International Airport.  The Expo, one of the largest educational events in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, represents an opportunity for students to learn about potential careers in a variety of aviation and transportation fields.  Most students in attendance came from the Dallas Independent School District and the Fort Worth Independent School District, but some came from as far away as Houston to take part in the eighth annual Expo.

“The Expo represents a tremendous opportunity for our airport and our transportation industry partners to show students some great career options they might not have considered,” said Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW.  “The hands-on exhibits here are really engaging for kids, and we are pleased to provide an opportunity for them to learn.”

Staged inside an American Airlines maintenance hangar at DFW, the Expo was highlighted by a “Man vs. Plane” aircraft pull contest with teams of exhibitors racing to pull a 140,000 pound American Airlines MD-80 for distances of 25 and 80 feet. Students also spent time in flight simulators, watched mechanics assembly races, took part in a social media zone featuring a live Twitter feed, and toured an array of aircraft on display outside the hangar.

DFW Airport, American Airlines, the FAA, and Tarrant County College joined forces to organize the Expo. The Expo is a major component of DFW Airport’s goal to provide educational outreach in the Dallas/Fort Worth community.

“DFW and its Expo partners are committed to educating and inspiring our youth about the myriad of great opportunities available to them,” said Mary Jo Polidore, vice president for public affairs at DFW.  “It’s inspiring for us too, because the faces we see are so eager to learn and grow.”

The Expo featured over 60 exhibits, including the CAE SimuFlite, the Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FlightSafety International, the Texas Air National Guard, the U.S. Navy, the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington.  For a full list of exhibitors please visit the Expo website at www.dfwcareerexpo.com.