The aviation industry is a key pillar of the global economy, connecting people, enabling global trade, and driving economic growth across the world. Nevertheless, like many other industries and business sectors, aviation struggles with a manifest gender gap, with women accounting for only a fraction of the workforce, particularly in the Middle East.
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Inadequate representation
Despite the headwinds brought about by the global pandemic and its ripple effect, the Middle East’s aviation market has seen record growth over the past decade, with the region’s airlines and airports establishing a global foothold as leading aviation hubs and industry trendsetters.
Nevertheless, women remain largely underrepresented across the industry.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), only 6% of airlines globally are led by female CEOs —as of March 2022—. Meanwhile, women make up only 5.1% of airline pilots, 26% of air traffic controllers; 18% of flight dispatchers; and less than 9% of aerospace engineers worldwide.
Addressing challenges
While women are inadequately represented in the aviation sector globally, cultural and societal barriers in the Middle East have largely contributed to extending the gender gap in the region’s aviation market.
Nonetheless, the region has made strides in empowering more women to assume leadership roles, and lead successful careers in aviation, through industry initiatives, policies, and regulations to ensure gender equality, inclusion, and diversity in the workplace and motivate more female talents to join the workforce.
Across the region, women are progressively pursuing their career aspirations and stepping into different industry segments, from engineering to ramp operations, air traffic control, commercial aviation, and even defence and security.
In 2022, Etihad Airways’ pilot Aisha al-Mansoori earned her fourth stripe as the first female Emirati commercial captain, marking a key milestone in the country’s efforts to empower women.
In February, Oman Air’s pilot, Maha Al Balushi, received her new rank as the first female Omani Captain, after a decade-long career with the airline.
Industry initiatives
While the number of female professionals in leadership roles remains unsatisfactory, the outlook of women’s representation in the industry is rather promising, particularly with the industry initiatives aimed at empowering women and narrowing the gender gap.
One such initiative is the Women in Aviation – Middle East Chapter (WAI-ME), a nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging women in the Middle East to seek opportunities in the aviation industry.
Since it was founded in 2013, WAI-ME has offered female professionals a platform to network, exchange views and expertise, and access mentorship and training programmes, through active participation in industry discussions to raise awareness of women’s instrumental role in aviation.
Similarly, Dubai Airports launched DAWN in 2022, a platform dedicated to empowering, inspiring, informing, and connecting women in the aviation sector, as well as maximising personal and professional development opportunities for Dubai Airports’ female professionals.
Although progress has been fairly slow, the collective efforts aimed at promoting gender diversity in the aviation industry and attracting female talent to the growing sector have encouraged more young women to consider careers in aviation.
Narrowing the gap
Offering women in aviation the same opportunities to grow and advance their careers as their male counterparts is not only a matter of social justice but also necessary to meet the rapidly growing market demand and improve operational efficiency, by harnessing the potential of skilled female talents, especially as the industry continues to struggle with crippling shortages of skilled workers.
By empowering women and encouraging them to join the workforce, the aviation industry can vastly broaden its talent pool, fill in critical skill gaps, and address the acute staff shortages impeding its growth.
Moreover, by boosting the representation of women in leadership roles, more young women will be inspired to follow the paths of successful female role models.
Last but not least, addressing cultural and societal barriers and raising awareness amongst younger women in schools and universities is essential to attracting and retaining female talent and ensuring further representation in different roles across the industry.
In conclusion
In short, empowering women and narrowing the gender gap in the Middle East’s aviation market is crucial for both social justice and business success. By providing support, training, and mentorship, and addressing cultural barriers, the industry can tap into a previously untapped talent pool, filling critical skills gaps and ensuring a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
