MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Airbus and Delta Air Lines brought the annual WING flight to Mobile for the first time. WING stands for Women Inspiring the Next Generation.
Hundreds of STEM students flew in early Friday morning from Atlanta to visit the Airbus U.S. manufacturing facility.
Caroline Jecko-Parkes, vice president of HR for Airbus in North America, said the students are part of a group Delta is bringing as part of its WING flight.
“This is a group of girls from Atlanta that Delta is bringing as part of their WING flight. And effectively what they’re doing is introducing those girls to the aerospace industry. So we, Airbus, are very excited to partner with them on this event and give them a first view, front view, of the assembly line here in Mobile, Alabama,” Jecko-Parkes said.
Stephanie Burt, head of HR operations U.S., said inspiring the next generation of aerospace individuals has been a top priority.
“For me, it’s really exciting. One of our top priorities has always been to inspire the next generation of aerospace individuals. And so to see especially all of these ladies here is also very, you know, incredibly inspiring to us as well. And I think what they’ll be able to see is they can do these jobs too,” Burt said.
The flight was operated by an all-female flight crew. Saturday marks the 12th annual International Girls in Aviation Day.
Marley Everett, an eighth-grade student, said she was surprised when she first learned about the trip.
“I was like, whoa. I was really shocked. When I first got asked, I was really interested in seeing the behind the scenes and all the architecture and how everything worked, like the engineering side of flight and aviation. So when I got to see all the different building parts and how everything actually came together to create a plane, I was like, this is really, really cool,” Everett said.
Everett said she and her classmates hope to follow the same path.
“Women are powerful. The stuff that can happen is really, really powerful. So, this is a really great opportunity that we get to experience. I’m really grateful for everything, and I hope that they can take back, we can do anything. People have created so many great things, and as the future generation, I really want us to do the same thing and carry on the legacy,” Everett said.
