The new branch of the Newton Flight Academy was opened at iGA Istanbul Airport in cooperation with Boeing, iGA Istanbul Airport, FIRST Scandinavia, and Bilim Kahraman (Science Heroes) Association.

The event was attended by key figures, including Istanbul Airport Civil Administrative Officer İlker Haktankaçmaz and US Consul General in Istanbul Julie Eadeh. İGA Deputy Chief Executive Selahattin Bilgen expressed satisfaction with hosting the collaborative project, emphasizing the goal of fostering young people’s love for the aviation industry and integrating İGA Istanbul Airport as a global hub for aviation human resource development.

İGA Deputy Chief Executive Selahattin Bilgen said: We believe that Newton Flight Academy is an integrative project for İGA Istanbul Airport, which we position as the center of aviation in Turkey and the world. Thus, as a leading airport in aviation, I believe that we play an important role in raising and training the human resources needed by the sector. This In terms of the last two years, we have opened our doors to more than a thousand intern students on an annual basis and recently we had the pride of being the ‘Private Sector Organization Offering the Most Internship Opportunities’ in our country. Thanks to this strong step we took with our sector stakeholders, we have become not only an airport but also a global transfer and meeting center. We show once again that İGA Istanbul Airport approaches Turkey and our society with a service approach beyond borders.”

“We continue to invest in Turkey’s human resources in the aviation field,” added Bilgen.

Boeing Turkey and Central Asia General Manager Ayşem Sargın said: “In 2024, we plan to take our Newton Mobile Science Workshop to the regions where young people affected by the earthquake live, in cooperation with Turkish Airlines. We are happy to carry our activities in this field even further with the opening of the Newton Flight Academy. We will entrust the new century of the Republic to our young people and Turkey’s growing We would like to thank İGA Istanbul Airport, FIRST Scandinavia and Science Heroes Association for their contributions to this project for the future of the aviation industry. Within the framework of the Boeing Turkey National Aviation Plan, which we started to implement in 2017, we are investing in Turkey’s human resources in the aviation field with many of our projects, including the Newton Flight Academy. We continue to do so. I believe that the flight simulators and training modules at Newton Flight Academy will inspire our students and increase the contribution of Turkish youth in meeting the human resources needed by the rapidly growing aviation industry.”

Per-Arild Konradsen, CEO and Founder of FIRST Scandinavia, said: “We hope that this project will open new horizons for children and young people.”

Chairman of the Board of Science Heroes Association, Prof. Dr. Sıddıka Semahat Demir, said: “Newton Flight Academy Istanbul, in cooperation with Boeing, İGA Istanbul Airport and FIRST Scandinavia, is the second leg of a unique initiative that will introduce secondary and high school students to aviation-focused STEM experience. We believe that this project will inspire our young people to have a career in aviation and STEM fields. As the Science Heroes Association, we are very excited and proud of the Newton Flight Academy Istanbul, which we were able to offer to young people in Turkey with our valuable partners. We hope that this project, which was implemented on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Turkey, will open new horizons for children and young people.”

Implemented by the Science Heroes Association with the backing of Boeing and hosted by İGA, the Newton Flight Academy, conceived by FIRST Scandinavia, a Norwegian non-governmental organization, conducts activities aimed at students aged 11-18. The academy, located at İGA, features a total of 6 flight simulators, comprising 3 full-motion and 3 fixed simulators akin to those employed in professional training, alongside a designated laboratory area. It provides students with a hands-on learning experience, allowing them to grasp fundamental flight principles. The curriculum covers mathematical calculations, navigation, meteorology, aerodynamics, and biofuels, aligning with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) framework. The program encourages students to collaboratively plan and execute flights using specially designed training modules and simulators.

Originating in Bodo, Norway, in 2016, the Newton Flight Academy expanded to Glasgow, Scotland, in the past year and recently to Beijing, China. Over the years, these academies, visited by over 24 thousand individuals and offering flight training from 2016 to 2022, continue to broaden access to aviation-focused STEM education and hands-on flight simulator experiences. The most recent addition in Istanbul ensures that more young people gain exposure to this unique learning opportunity.

Source: Anadolu Agency
Photo Credit: Anadolu Agency