Students at Airline High School are getting an opportunity even some college students don’t get.

In a first of its kind partnership in Louisiana, Metro Aviation, Inc. has partnered with the Airline High JROTC aviation program to assist students in getting their wings and help their professional careers take flight.

Impressed with Airline’s high school aviation program, the only one like it in Louisiana, Metro Aviation has purchased a state-of-the-art Redbird flight simulator for hands-on instruction at the school and will be offering paid internship opportunities this summer to a handful of students.

“At Metro, we strive to find local talent and teach them the ropes,” said Milton Geltz, Metro Aviation Managing Director. “We have many employees that began here over 20 years ago as a paint shop apprentice or floor sweeper, and are now in management positions across the organization. We hope this partnership with Airline High School will help us cultivate young talent and introduce students to the endless possibilities available to them in their own backyard.”

“This type of paid internship can lead to a lifetime career in the aviation industry and is an opportunity that college students would love to have,” said Major Greg Kimbrough, instructor of Airline’s ground school. “As a matter of fact, I have had students at LSU in Baton Rouge call and ask if they could get into the Airline High School program. It is garnering national attention as well.”

Families from out of state have shown interest in moving to Bossier specifically for their children to pursue aviation studies at Airline, then enroll after graduation in the Louisiana Tech Professional Aviation program. Airline partners with Louisiana Tech for dual enrollment, enabling high school aviation students to receive college credit.

“Airline continues to develop programs and opportunities to allow experiences that students and their parents never imagined possible just a few years ago,” said Jason Rowland, Principal at Airline High School. “We are going to take advantage of every chance we get to offer cutting edge programs that are demanded in today’s workforce.”