Airline chiefs have stressed the importance of creating more opportunities for women to take senior roles in the aviation industry, citing improvements to business operations with more diverse management teams.
An all-female speaker line-up at the ‘Big Aviation Session’ at World Travel Market said they had not felt their progress was hindered by their gender.
But all agreed that female executives could bring a different perspective to male counterparts and could hold any position, regardless of previous experience in the sector.
In the session moderated by JLS Consulting’s John Strickland, Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton (pictured) said: “Ten years ago, one in 10 of our executive team were female and now it’s three in 10. Momentum breeds momentum and we need to show people there is diversity in the organisation so people can feel comfortable within it.”
She added: “Different perspectives in the room makes for a healthier organisation.”
Dawn Wilson, chief operating officer of Tui Airline, said she had often been “the only woman in the room” during her early years in the aviation sector, but said more women were now “bubbling to the top quite naturally”.
She said: “Seventy per cent of my direct reports are now female and that is not because of a recruitment campaign, it’s because they are the best people for the job.”
Wilson said Tui was focusing on support for female pilots, who were being recruited but “dropped out at a certain level”, saying the company was looking to introduce more flexible and part-time roles in order to support pilots with families.
Wizz Air UK managing director Marion Geoffroy said the low-cost airline was looking to build working rostas which “facilitated life and transitions”, including combining office and flying duties.
And Embleton said Aer Lingus was also looking to bring in more flexible and attractive working policies, though she stressed these were targeted at both female and male pilots.
She said: “From a glass-half-empty perspective, we don’t have nearly enough female pilots, but glass-half-full, we have 10% (female) which is higher than the industry average.”
Geoffroy highlighted the cost of pilot training, explaining that Wizz Air offered financial support for staff who wanted to make the transition.
Wilson also highlighted the need to engage with local communities to create a culturally diverse workforce which also reflected the company’s customer base.