Palm Springs Event Saw Record Attendance and Industry Support for DEI

The National Gay Pilots Association  celebrates its rousing success from the 2022 Winter Warm-Up & Industry Expo, back after a 2-year pause amid coronavirus restrictions around the country. The event demonstrated the aviation industry - from general aviation to commercial passenger travel - and its widespread support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as an operating principle.

The event saw record participation from official entities, bringing in a record 72 corporate exhibitions, with many holding job interviews with prospective employees. Hiring wasn't the only draw, with educational briefings and breakout sessions with topics in a range of operational considerations like general aviation operations, aviation medical fitness, individual financial planning, and aircraft ownership.

“This edition of our NGPA Industry Expo presented by United Airlines has been a resounding success,” said NGPA president Brian Gambino. “The feedback from our exhibitors and attendees has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re excited to be one of the first industry events in 2022 that brings our community back together.” He said the reception was better than ever, with more than 1,400 attendees. 

This year saw a roster of first-time exhibitors that included Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Flex Air, Jet Aviation, Kalitta Charters, Netjets, Ravn Alaska, Southwest, Textron Aviation, Wheels Up, and WinTrust Mortgage. They weren't the only ones, as 84 students representing 8 of the NGPA's university chapters attended the education sessions and met with company representatives to go over careers in the industry. 

“NGPA’s mission to build, support, and unite the LGBTQ aviation community in the U.S. and around the world was felt throughout this Expo,” said NGPA Chairman Steve Tustin. “We’re excited to launch a full year of connecting our community through our in-person and virtual gatherings,” he concluded. 

FMI: www.ngpa.org