Sisters of the Skies is an organization of about 120 female African Americans working as professional pilots in the public and private sectors. Among the commercial airline companies for which they fly jets worldwide are United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines.

This weekend, the Sisters will be joined by hundreds of pilots and aviation professionals in Houston, Texas as they celebrate their prior year’s accomplishments and award flight training scholarships to other female African Americans aspiring and qualified to transport people and goods around the globe.

This unique organization was founded in 2016 by Nia Wordlaw (United Airlines Boeing 777 pilot flying international flights) and Angel Hughes (who then was flying for the U.S. Coast Guard and currently flies internationally for UPS). The current president is Theresa Claiborne, a 

United Airlines Captain flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on international flights.

This year’s black-tie event is sponsored by United Airlines. 

Brett Hart, president of United Airlines, is the keynote speaker. In addition to leading United Airlines’ global operations, Mr. Hart serves on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council, the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the Innocence Project.