Girls In Aviation Day Celebrated At Shillong Airport

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: Women in Aviation International, India chapter and Lockheed Martin Corporation in association with Airport Authority of India (AAI) celebrated “Girls in Aviation Day” at Shillong Airport on Thursday. With the vision to encourage girls to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and explore career opportunities in related industries, the initiative is aimed at showcasing opportunities in aviation and aerospace sectors.

The event is part of Lockheed Martin’s ongoing commitment and investment in developing the next generation of future engineers, explorers and scientists in India. This initiative also aligns with the Government’s Skill India initiative.

As part of the programme, Women in Aviation International (India Chapter) invited 30 students from various schools for a tour of Shillong Airport. Visiting students were given an opportunity to explore, learn, and discover various aspects of aviation and aerospace roles such as air traffic controller, airline dispatch, pilot, aviation maintenance technician, aeronautical engineer or aviation management.

In addition, the students were given a tour of the ATC Tower, Airside, Terminal Building and AOCC and all their queries were answered by the officials working in the respective departments.

Speaking on the occasion, Radha Bhatia, president, Women in Aviation International (India Chapter) stated, “This is the fourth year that the WAI India Chapter is celebrating ‘Girls in Aviation Day’ and we are delighted to host the same at Shillong. This day is celebrated for the young girls to encourage them to choose aviation as a viable career opportunity. World over, India has the maximum number of female pilots but there are many other avenues that are still unknown. With this celebration our aim is to see girls from the State of Meghalaya explore exciting careers available to them as engineers, air traffic controllers and dozens of other jobs within the aviation.”

“We will continue our endeavour to introduce young girls to role models and educate them in a fun and supportive atmosphere. We are very fortunate to be able to partner with Lockheed Martin India and Airport Authority of India for this event. Their efforts in leading youth into STEM careers is truly commendable,” added Bhatia.

Speaking about Lockheed Martin’s commitment to this initiative, Phil Shaw, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India Private Limited said, “Lockheed Martin is excited to partner with Women in Aviation (India chapter) for the fourth straight year to enable young ladies the opportunity to witness a slice of the aerospace and aviation industry. We are committed to promoting the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education and careers. Through the ‘Girls in Aviation Day’ initiative, we continue to invest in the education of our future generations and play a part in contributing to the progress of this nation.”

Post the airport tour, the students were given a small presentation about the industry and its intricacies.

Students also received an opportunity to interact with chief guest of the event, Governor Tathagata Roy along with Noopurr R Chablani, secretary, Women in Aviation International (India Chapter), Jagmohan Singh, Regional Director India, Sri Lanka and Maldives with Lockheed Martin India Private Limited, Tanima Nigam, Assistant General Manager (Maintenance Training Organization) Air India Engineering Services Limited and Manish Kumar Agrawal, Airport Director, Shillong Airport.