On 28 March 2025, Hamburg Airport opened its doors for a special occasion: the 20th anniversary of the ‘Fascination of Flying’ event series, which gets young people excited about aviation. Since the beginning, Hamburg Airport has been one of the partners promoting the development of skilled labour in the aviation industry. The anniversary event brought together representatives from business, science and politics to celebrate the successes of the past two decades and develop strategies for securing skilled labour in the future.
‘An anniversary like this offers the opportunity to both look back and discuss the future of securing skilled labour in aviation. The aviation industry is facing major changes, particularly in the area of sustainability. This makes it all the more important to get young people interested in the exciting professions in our sector. Hamburg Airport offers a wide range of career opportunities, from technical professions such as aircraft mechanics and engineers to positions in passenger service and aviation security. Our training programmes offer entry into a dynamic and future-proof industry that is constantly in need of new talent. We are therefore very pleased to have been able to contribute to introducing the very youngest newcomers to the flying of the future for many years,’ says Johannes Scharnberg, Head of Communications, Policy and Environment at Hamburg Airport.
Two decades supporting young talents
20 years ago, the aviation network came up with the idea of getting children interested in aviation and aeronautical professions at an early age. The lecture series ‘Technology for children. The fascination of flying’ at HAW Hamburg for 8-12 year olds was born. Questions such as ‘Why does an aeroplane fly?’, ‘What does maths have to do with flying?’ or ‘What will the aeroplane of the future look like?’ are still answered today. What began as a series of lectures has developed into a comprehensive programme over the years. In 2008, the flying summer camp for young people aged 14 and over was added, followed by the founding of the Fascination of Technology Club, now known as the YOTA Young Talents Hamburg Club at Hamburg Invest. In various formats, children and young people regularly have the opportunity to visit renowned aviation companies such as Lufthansa Technik, Airbus, Hamburg Airport and many other companies. There they can experience the various professions in the aviation industry at first hand and gain a direct insight into everyday working life.
Dr Rolf Strittmatter, Managing Director of Hamburg Invest: ‘For two decades, the Fascination of Flying project has been inspiring young people for the world of aviation - an impressive example of what sustainable promotion of young talent can look like. As part of Hamburg Invest's Young Talents Hamburg Club YOTA, this programme shows how we can attract talent for technical and future-oriented professions at an early stage - not only in aviation, but also in other key sectors such as logistics, the maritime industry and renewable energies. For Hamburg Invest, this initiative is an essential part of our skilled labour strategy - and we look forward to continuing on this successful path together with strong partners such as Hamburg Airport.’
Hamburg Airport has been an important partner of the format from the very beginning. As Germany's fifth-largest airport, it has been combining the fascination of flying with Hanseatic tradition and cosmopolitanism for over 100 years. This is why the promotion of young talent is of central importance for Hamburg as an aviation centre.
About YOTA Young Talents Hamburg
Hamburg Invest's Young Talents Hamburg Club gives children and young people an insight into mainly technical professions through various types of events and accompanies them into training or studies in the Hamburg metropolitan region - from the age of 8 until the end of their school years. Companies, associations and universities open their doors to children and young people and show them how exciting technology is. They can look over the shoulders of trainees or lend a hand in the training workshop. Further information can be found at www.yota-hamburg.de