Flight-Training Scholarships Available For August Martin High School Aviation Academy Students

The New Terminal One Team has announced an innovative community initiative to provide flight-training scholarships to students in the August Martin High School Aviation Academy, as the air travel industry predicts a global shortage of pilots in the future, officials said.

The announcement comes as The New Terminal One Team ramps up its local presence as part of the JFK Redevelopment Program, a $13 billion infrastructure project underway with the first phase scheduled for completion in 2023.

The innovative student flight training initiative comes as mandatory retirement and stricter rules requiring co-pilots to have more flight time have industry experts predicting a need to fill thousands of pilot vacancies during the next several decades. Under the grant initiative, 29 students will receive flight training at the Academy of Aviation in Farmingdale, NY, officials said.

The New Terminal One Team, collectively known as the "Consortium," comprises operating and financial partners led by CAG Holdings and The Carlyle Group, JLC Infrastructure, and Ullico. The Consortium was selected by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to undertake the redevelopment and expansion of JFK's Terminal One. The plan was first unveiled in Governor Andrew Cuomo's Vision Plan for the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in 2017.

"The New Terminal One Team is thrilled to award flight training scholarships to these 29 exceptional August Martin students," said Amit Rikhy, president, and CEO of CAG Holdings. "We are proud to support the development of the next generation of aviation professionals by providing young people with access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) experiences."

, said, "One of the most important components of the Aviation Academy is that scholars can accrue actual flight hours in an aircraft. Thanks to The New Terminal One Team providing funds for our scholars to receive the first stage of their flight time as a result of our partnership with the JFK Redevelopment Program we have opened the door to internships, technical training, and a direct pathway to a myriad of career options within aviation," said Rory Parnell, Principal at August Martin High School. "We look forward to continuing to find ways to create new opportunities for our scholars as we work to shape the aviation leaders of tomorrow."

The Aviation Academy at August Martin High School helps prepare students for careers in the air travel industry. Students receive training on In-Flight Simulators at the school. They also receive observation hours, flight hours, and classroom time with flight instructors off-site.

"Congratulations to the August Martin High School Aviation Academy students who will receive flight-training scholarships thanks to The New Terminal One Team," said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Co-Chair, JFK Redevelopment Advisory Council. "These students represent the future of aviation and deserve all the support we can give them. The New Terminal One Team deserves to be commended for helping these students to reach the skies literally."

"I am proud of the opportunities provided to students as a direct result of the redevelopment of Terminal One at JFK Airport. This grant will allow aspiring aviators from August Martin High School to take advantage of the jobs and growth occurring right here in their own backyard," said Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman(D-Laurelton)

"We are a family at August Martin, and it starts with our great principal. At first, I just wanted to be an aircraft mechanic, but I realized with encouragement from my teachers all the doors that I can open for myself by being both a pilot and aircraft mechanic," said Isaiah Lovell, 18, senior, Aviation Academy at August Martin High School. "Everyone here has been very encouraging, which has fueled my love and passion for flying. I am very grateful to The New Terminal One Team for the flight-training scholarships because they are pushing us all to fly higher without putting a hole in our pockets. The new program is great because it helps the community by allowing someone like me to pursue my dreams and have a career in aviation."

"Being a student at August Martin High School and being a part of the Aviation Academy has been a life changing event for me," said Khandakar Shohan, 18, a senior in the Aviation Academy whose family immigrated to New York from Bangladesh. "The free flight training scholarships by The New Terminal One Team in partnership with The JFK Redevelopment Program has brought new energy to the school and direction to the Aviation Academy. The resources they are proving are beneficial because, without it, some of us wouldn't be able to achieve our dreams to become pilots."

"Being a pilot is my dream, and August Martin High School is the source of it," said Hadia Ghuman, 17, a junior in the Aviation Academy who immigrated to New York with her family from Pakistan. "The staff here is great, and they push you and help you get the best out of you. I want to thank The New Terminal One Team, and everyone involved because the pilot flight training program gives us a better opportunity and chance to reach our goals even before we get to college. It will help us earn a private pilot's license even before we finish college."

"I want to be a pilot or an emergency room physician, but I know that the training and guidance I have received at the Aviation Academy will help prepare me for both, said Cashele Brown, 18, a senior in the Aviation Program at August Martin High School. "I am very grateful to my school, The New Terminal One Team and The JFK Redevelopment Program for the flight training program because it has given students like me, and the Aviation Academy at August Martin High School the resources needed to have this opportunity. The flight-training grant and scholarships are nothing but a terrific opportunity for all students in the program."

The JFK Terminal One Project is one of the largest public-private partnerships in U.S., history and comes several years after the $4 Billion LaGuardia Airport modernization deal.

(Image provided with The New Terminal One news release)

FMI: www.anewjfk.com/projects/the-new-terminal-one