WIDEN THE SKIES

The urgent need for more women in aviation far exceeds an exericse in box-ticking. We spoke to the trailblazers reimagining the industry and pushing for essential gender equality

WORDS HANNAH RALPH

More than ever before, cases are being made for the necessity of a bigger, balanced talent pool It's 2018. At the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual conference in Sydney, Qatar Airways’ former CEO Akbar al Baker declares that only a man could lead his airline, “because it is a very challenging position”. That same year, journalist Angela Epstein appears on one of the UK's most watched morning shows to discuss the topic: Would you trust a female pilot?’ “If there's someone in a position of absolute power and control,” she said, “then I'd like it to be a man”. TUI Airways, meanwhile, takes heat for handing out “future pilot” stickers to boys and “future cabin crew” ones to girls. And while it's true that no formal barriers prohibit women from pursuing…

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Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition (Digital) - 1 Issue, March - April 2024

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