Commercial aviation was once a field with specifically defined gender and cultural roles.
Up until around the 1970s, the cockpit was the domain of exclusively male pilots, while cabin crew were entirely female.
All that has changed, of course, with women taking to the skies as pilots or taking the lead on the ground in terms of both air traffic and flight engineering.
However, experts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) point out that the industry could do more in terms of inclusivity, especially as this could broaden the industrial talent pool and open the doors to technological and operational innovation.
More than an ethical imperative
In many cases, diversity in the contemporary workplace has been perceived as a moral imperative, but one with practical implications.
Especially over the past 50 years, a more inclusive commercial aviation industry has paved the way for women taking on leadership roles, as well as opening doors to those who would not have joined the industry due to colour bars and a hostile work environment.
Indeed, greater gender, racial, and cultural diversity in the industry has made it more resilient in the face of greater competition, especially following the pandemic.
Likewise, inclusivity has also driven commercial aviation to become more sustainable and dynamic.
Experts have also pointed out how this emphasis on inclusive environments has also had a positive impact on the overall travel experience for passengers as it makes everyone feel more welcome.
The increasing visibility of women in flight
Consider this: a 2025 Aerviva report states that women now make up 4.7 percent of commercial pilots globally.
At the same time, 3.1 percent of aircraft maintenance engineers and 21.1 percent of air traffic controllers are female, and the visibility of women in the industry was up by around 25 percent as of last year.
This is in keeping with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s 25by2025 campaign wherein participating airlines set measurable targets for a broad spectrum of career roles and training programmes.
25by2025 has resulted in 37 percent more women in the flight deck, and an increase of 24 percent in terms of women taking on senior roles in relevant organisations.
However, it must also be pointed out that only six percent of all airline chief executives are female as of press time, including JetBlue’s Joanna Geraghty, Qantas’ Vanessa Hudson, and Marjan Rintel of KLM.
But this stands to change in the near future: organisations like Women in Aviation International (WAI) continue to raise the bar for women in commercial aviation through education and training.
WAI, in particular, offers scholarships for aspiring pilots and technical professionals, opening doors to a new generation, especially those coming from a STEM focus in their secondary education.
Again, no country left behind
ICAO recently formalised an understanding with global travel technology firm Amadeus which supports the former’s No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiative.
A key goal in ICAO’s Strategic Plan for 2026-2050, NCLB reflects its commitment to sustainability, digital transformation, innovation, and economic resilience, whilst ensuring viable opportunities are accessible to all.
Signed in February of this year, the understanding between ICAO and Amadeus seeks to enhance the capacity of nations to adopt advanced digital technologies for the improvement of air transport efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
It is hoped that the collaboration will help ICAO member states advance their digital transformation journeys and more rapidly realize the social and economic benefits that air transport brings.
In which case, global commercial aviation is doing more than just changing its demographics in the name of moral compliance: it is taking a vital step towards its own progressive and dynamic future, one that is open to all.
