Story ID: 
Aviation Internship Program Launched at KHPN
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The program is a partership between Avports, Vaughn College, and Westchester County
Word Count: 212
Avports, the operator of New York’s Westchester County Airport (KHPN), recently partnered with Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology and Westchester County to establish a paid college internship program. The launch—first announced last month at the NBAA Northeast Regional held at KHPN—will give students valuable aviation experience in airport administration and operations while allowing them to interface with airlines, Fortune 500 flight departments, FBOs, and private pilots.
KHPN and its tenant businesses include nearly 1,500 workers, and Avports is seeking to fill 60 positions. “The partnership with Vaughn will prove to be a vast pipeline of emerging talent for airports like Westchester and others throughout the region and nation,” said KHPN manager Francisco Tejada. “We hope to draw young aviation professionals with fresh perspectives as they begin their careers.”
Intern Hassan Khan, who is heading into his senior year at Vaughn, explained that the experience takes his education beyond the classroom. “I’m so fortunate to be working alongside professionals and receiving the practical experience that I only read about in school. Here, I’m doing it every day and making inspections, safety and weather checks, and so much more.” He added that the opportunity will help him establish a career in airport management.