Airport Workers Day on June 25 celebrates the people who devote their professional lives to keeping air hubs safe, secure and running smoothly. But a love of aviation often takes hold years before a worker clocks in for the first time.
Pearson recently opened its doors to a group of young aviation enthusiasts from Brampton’s Chinguacousy Secondary School for a workshop that traded the classroom for the terminal. In partnership with Y2 Entrepreneurship Labs, Pearson’s Community Outreach Team challenged the 10 students to think like aviation experts and to use AI to develop bold ideas for enhancing Pearson's customer service. The day also included a career panel that shed light on the countless professional paths the airport offers.
We caught up with Grade 11 student Arjun Yuvraj Handa to hear what he took away from the workshop. Arjun is president of Chinguacousy's Aerospace Club and a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He aims to become a commercial airline pilot and dreams of one day tackling the famously tricky landing at Innsbruck, Austria, which is hemmed in by Alpine peaks. "I was born on April 26, World Pilots Day, which I have always taken as a sign that this path was meant for me," he says.
What is the Aviation and Aerospace Program at Chinguacousy?
It has two main parts, an Aerospace Club and the Aviation and Aerospace Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM). I currently serve as president of the Aerospace Club, which was created to bring aviation closer to youth. Students learn about the principles of flight, aircraft operations, radio communications, meteorology, maintenance and aviation history. This year, we also visited Air Canada’s facilities at Pearson.
The SHSM program combines aviation-focused learning with certifications, experiential learning and career exploration opportunities. A favourite part has been mentoring my peers on our full-motion flight simulator.
The workshop threw you into the deep end. What did that feel like?
It was an exhilarating experience and something very different from a typical classroom setting. We were guided through the passenger journey at Pearson, including check-in, security, accessibility, and crowd flow. Then, we were challenged to identify a real issue and design a solution for it within a limited time. It was my first time working in that kind of fast-paced, real-world problem-solving environment, and it really pushed us to think quickly, collaborate effectively and communicate our ideas clearly.
What idea did you come up with?
My team designed a solution we called PearsonEase, aimed at improving the airport experience for travellers aged 50 and above by making it simpler, more accessible and less stressful.
The solution had two parts. We suggested a dedicated lane for senior passengers at check-in and security areas. On the digital side, we designed a kiosk interface where passengers could enter their flight details to receive a step-by-step check-in guide, a recommended route through the airport, live wait times and the option to request assistance.
The goal was to reduce confusion and physical strain while increasing confidence for passengers navigating a busy airport.
What did you get out of the workshop?
Receiving positive feedback from real industry representatives greatly encouraged me and has helped me gain new confidence in my ability to analyze and generate ideas creatively and efficiently under pressure. Walking out of that room, I felt like I had found a new side of myself, an entrepreneurial one that I had never fully seen before, and I am excited to keep developing it.
Being inside the airport while doing the workshop made it even more special. Being inside an environment I hope to one day call my workplace made me more determined than ever to make that dream a reality.