Report

Lift Off to Leadership

Advancing women in aviation

A new survey from global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman and the International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA) was launched last week, giving an insight to the challenges faced by the aviation industry in attracting and retaining diverse workforces.

The new report, named “Lift off to Leadership”, looks at some of the critical barriers and potential solutions to help redress the gender imbalance in aviation leadership. According to the survey of 450 aviation professionals in front-line, mid-level, and senior leadership (75 percent women), over half (59%) of women working in leadership positions in aviation have considered leaving the industry. Women are more likely to be pushed out because of negative experiences, while men who leave the industry are more often pulled away by the lure of better opportunities.

Sumati Sharma, WiAAC co-chair and Partner at Oliver Wyman said: “We’re at such an interesting time for our industry with the restart of aviation and travel post-COVID-19. Organisations that successfully treat diversity and inclusion as a business strategy will have a competitive advantage by retaining top talent across all levels of current and future leadership.”