Auburn School of Aviation Joins Southwest Recruitment Program

Auburn is the seventh school to partner with Southwest’s Destination 225° pilot recruitment pipeline.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 01:35 PM ET

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Southwest Airlines Captain Lee Kinnebrew, vice president, Flight Operations, and Auburn University School of Aviation Director James Witte were on hand for the formal announcement of Auburn joining the Destination 225˚ program. [Courtesy: Auburn University]

Key Takeaways:

Auburn University's School of Aviation has partnered with Southwest Airlines' Destination 225° program, becoming the seventh university to join the initiative.
The Destination 225° program offers pilot mentorship, training, and a structured career pathway designed to develop competitively-qualified Southwest First Officer candidates.
Students enrolled in the program can build flight hours, potentially work as flight instructors, and gain experience with partner carriers, all while meeting specific eligibility requirements.

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On Monday, Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, announced a new partnership between its school of aviation and Southwest Airlines’ Destination 225° program. It is the seventh university to join Southwest’s program, which includes pilot mentorship during a candidate’s undergraduate program and early career, if they are selected for a Southwest career path after graduation.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Auburn University as a partner in Southwest’s Destination 225˚ Program,” said Lee Kinnebrew, vice president, Flight Operations at Southwest Airlines. “We continue our work of introducing career pathways for the next generation of professional pilots and look forward to supporting students as they train, gain flight experience and develop into competitively-qualified Southwest First Officer Candidates in the years ahead.”