JetBlue empowers Florida’s future aviators with “Fly Like a Girl” event in Orlando

On Saturday, September 20, JetBlue touched down in Orlando for its 11th annual Fly Like a Girl event—an inspiring day empowering the next generation of aviators in one of its most vibrant focus cities. Hosted at JetBlue’s hangar at Orlando International Airport, the event welcomed more than 150 local youth ages 8–14 to explore aviation careers through hands-on activities and mentorship from the women who help JetBlue soar.

Ursula Hurley, president of the JetBlue Foundation and JetBlue’s chief financial officer commented: “Orlando is the heart of JetBlue’s training and innovation, and we’re proud to call it home to JetBlue University, where every crewmember—from pilots to frontline teams—receives the world-class training that shapes our award-winning service. Bringing Fly Like a Girl to Orlando reflects our deep commitment to this community and to inspiring the next generation of aviation professionals right here in Central Florida. For over a decade, the JetBlue Foundation has been proud to support initiatives that promote STEM and build meaningful career pathways in aviation.”

Icema Gibbs, JetBlue’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and impact stated: “At JetBlue, inspiring the next generation of aviation professionals means going beyond conversation—it’s about creating real, hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and open doors. Fly Like a Girl is a one-of-a-kind event that allows students to engage directly with our crewmembers, explore the wide range of careers aviation has to offer, and begin to envision their own future in the industry. Hosting Fly Like a Girl in Orlando not only makes sense—it’s personal. This community helps power JetBlue, and we’re proud to invest in its future.”

With deep roots in Florida and more than 25 years of commitment to the Orlando community, JetBlue’s Women in Flight Crewmember Resource Group, Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact team, and the JetBlue Foundation hosted this year’s Fly Like a Girl event. Youth attendees explored aviation through interactive activities, demonstrations, and learning stations with crewmembers from every workgroup. They connected with professionals, ranging from technical operators and inflight crewmembers to a cohort of pilots, and went behind the scenes with a guided tour of an Airbus A320 and ground operations, including baggage and cargo areas.

JetBlue’s Fly Like a Girl event arrived on the heels of its recent announcement to invest and grow across Florida, including adding nine new routes with nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale and additional daily flying on select routes. JetBlue also announced its first intermodal agreement with Brightline, enhancing connectivity and convenience for customers traveling on combined itineraries through Central and South Florida. 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.