Scholarships for National Gay Pilots Association Members Reach $150,000 in 2022

The National Gay Pilots Association has been sponsored by Southwest Airlines at the Diamond level, meaning the airline has granted $25,000 to the National Gay Pilots Association. Their sponsorship will be seen at the NGPA's booth at AirVenture 2022, as well as its participation at the Association's Palm Springs career expo. 

The funds will go towards aviation scholarships as specified by Southwest Airlines, fostering LGBTQ inclusion to every facet of the industry. Their addition to the sponsor queue follows United, Envoy, Piedmont, Republic, PSA, Horizon, Fedex, and Alaska airlines as well, bringing more than $750,000 in scholarship money to members of the association since 1990. For 2022, nearly $150,000 has been made available through the NGPA Scholarship program.

"Having the support of Southwest Airlines as a new NGPA sponsor furthers our mission as well as bolsters LGBTQ inclusion throughout the entire aviation industry. Southwest shows their true 'Heart' with their support of the NGPA, and we thank them for standing behind that vision," said NGPA President Brian Gambino in reference to a longstanding SWA tradition. 

“Southwest Airlines prides itself on the principle of putting People first; inclusion is at the Heart of who we are as a Company. We are honored to be a NGPA sponsor as this organization aligns with our commitment to cultivate diverse, equitable, and inclusive experiences for people to thrive.” said Juan Suarez, vice president of diversity, equity & inclusion at Southwest Airlines.

FMI: www.ngpa.org