October 22, 2014

Media Advisory – American Airlines Career Day

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host 115 Chicago-area high school and community college students during the 10th American Airlines-SIU Carbondale Aviation Career Day on Saturday, Oct. 25. 

The students will learn more about SIU’s Aviation Management and Flight and Aviation Technologies programs and talk with American Airlines personnel. The bulk of activity will take place at the Transportation Education Center at Southern Illinois Airport. 

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to attend the event, which takes place during Homecoming weekend, and interview students, faculty and American Airlines personnel.  An optimum time for video and photos will be when the MD-82 plane lands at Southern Illinois Airport at approximately 8:45 a.m. 

As a bonus, a 50-passenger Envoy Air Inc., Embraer 145 regional jet will also arrive with an all SIU aviation alumni crew. Envoy Air, based in Forth Worth, Texas, is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group and operates hubs in five cities, including Chicago. 

Aviation career days also take place each spring and summer. SIU Carbondale is the only aviation program that works with major airlines to fly students to campus for career day events. For José R. Ruiz, professor and interim chair of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight, the event represents a tremendous recruiting platform for attracting new students and a “great opportunity” to reconnect with alumni. There will be 15 American Airlines employees, all SIU aviation program graduates, along with several university representatives on the plane. 

Students will visit the Transportation Education Center, the Aviation Technologies Building, Aviation Test Cell and the Rotorcraft Hangar. Several students will get rides in SIU flight training aircraft and have the opportunity to see flight and air traffic control simulators in operation. Visiting students will also participate in a walking tour of the campus. 

The airline personnel include pilots, aircraft maintenance and airline management personnel, including all the flight and cabin crew. 

The itinerary for the day incudes:

  • 9 a.m. -- Group photo next to the MD-82 aircraft.
  • 9:15 to 11:45 a.m. -- SIU Aviation facility tours, introductory flights.
  • 11:45 to 2 p.m. -- Aviation careers briefing featuring American Airlines personnel and lunch; multi-purpose rooms A&B, located on south end of TEC.
  • 2 to 3:15 p.m. -- Walking tour of SIU Carbondale campus, including the Student Recreation Center, Student Center and Saluki Stadium.
  • 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. -- Return to Southern Illinois Airport to board aircraft for return flight to Chicago.

For more information, contact Ruiz at 618/453-8898 or at jruiz@aviation.siu.edu.