The number of women in the civil aviation workforce, especially in leadership positions like CEOs, pilots, air traffic controllers, and aircraft engineers, has been on an ascent, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as the global aviation industry heads toward growth and expansion.
To boost their presence in leadership roles in the US$553.9 billion-value global airlines market, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association representing approximately 275 commercial airlines that account for more than 83 percent of total global air traffic, launched the 25by2025 initiative in 2019 to increase female representation – in senior aviation roles and in areas where women are traditionally underrepresented – by up to a quarter by 2025.