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 commercial or military careers in aviation, a patriarchal cloud still lingers over the industry. Despite constituting half of the population, various sources reveal that women make up just 5 per cent of commercial pilots, 18 per cent
