Инициатива IATA 25by2025 завершилась ростом числа женщин-руководителей в авиации до 9%

IATA’s 25by2025 initiative delivered strong results. Launched in 2019 after Christopher Luxon—then CEO of Air New Zealand and now Prime Minister of New Zealand—urged the industry to improve gender balance, it quickly became a rallying point for aviation leaders. By its conclusion, 217 organizations from across the industry had signed on. This broad participation produced clear industry-wide gains: - female representation in senior management increased 31.3%. - the share of women on the flight deck rose from 4% to 6.7%. - female participation in technical roles increased 15%. Most notably, female CEOs at IATA member airlines rose from 3% to 9% of the total, and IATA recently appointed its first female Director General, Saadia Zahidi. Beyond these headline results, 25by2025 became a shared reference point for aviation. Regular reporting, 40 quarterly calls, and peer learning created an active community spanning the aviation value chain. “Those are major gains in just six years,” says Jane Hoskisson, IATA’s Director, Talent, Learning, Engagement, and Diversity. “Achieving them despite the pandemic makes the results even more meaningful.” Lessons learned Several lessons have emerged, chief among them the importance of leadership buy-in. Hoskisson says it creates a domino effect within and across organizations, delivering tangible business benefits by helping airlines access and develop talent more effectively. “Airlines need to reflect both the customers they serve and the talent pools they recruit from, bringing together every aspect of diversity,” she says. “The business case is clear. Aviation cannot meet its future workforce needs if it narrows access to talent.” Before long, 25by2025 came to stand for more than diversity. Because diversity is part of a broader ecosystem, meaningful progress requires a framework across the full human resources (HR) function. Fiona Omondi, Chief Strategy Officer at Tradewinds Aviation Services and Co-Founder, Women in Aviation International – Kenya Chapter, illustrates this point. Omondi won the High Flyer Award at the recent IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards, held during IATA’s Annual General Meeting in Brazil. Tradewinds operates in a traditionally male-dominated operational environment, where many roles have historically been perceived as less accessible to women. As a management trainee, Omondi began introducing practical diversity measures. “Change is difficult for people,” says Omondi. “So, I started by identifying where we could create opportunities for women and gradually increasing their representation across the organization.” These steps included using diverse interview panels across all functions and providing greater flexibility for women returning from maternity leave, including the option of day shifts during the early years of their children’s lives. Over time, those changes made a meaningful difference. “For us, diversity was not simply about increasing numbers,” Omondi notes. “It was about widening the talent pool, retaining capable people and creating an environment where different perspectives could contribute to better business decisions.” This must also include people who face disability-related barriers, many of whom can, and have, built long and rewarding careers in aviation. Some countries have introduced regulations to remove barriers and expand opportunities. Next steps 25by2025 showed that the industry can move together. Applying that mindset more broadly is essential, as aviation is expected to need 1.5 million new workers by 2034 if travel demand continues on its current path. “Airlines compete on product, but they must collaborate on people,” says Hoskisson. “That is why we are evolving 25by2025 into the People Forum.” The People Forum will build on 25by2025’s collaborative spirit by bringing the industry together to address shared workforce challenges, align priorities, and learn from best practice. Data will remain vital for identifying gaps, benchmarking progress, and tracking trends, especially as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and changing workforce expectations reshape aviation. The Forum will hold three video calls each year with the HR community, supported by roundtables that draw on external expertise for deeper discussion. It will also publish a quarterly newsletter and host an annual in-person forum for 150–200 people. The next forum, focused on AI’s impact, will take place on 12–13 November in Geneva. “Aviation has unique characteristics and challenges,” says Hoskisson. “Consider the social and financial barriers to becoming a pilot, for example. We need to address every aspect of diversity and inclusion across every role.” The importance of role models Data will remain essential, but Omondi says real success will come when the numbers no longer need to be singled out. “Success is when diversity is fully embedded in an organization,” she says. “It is when people no longer have to say they wanted to be part of aviation but lacked the opportunity.” Role models will be vital. Omondi describes being one as both a privilege and a responsibility, while noting that she still looks to others on similar paths. “You can’t aspire to be something you don’t know about,” she says. “But it is about becoming the best person you can be, not simply copying someone else. Authenticity is key. It is about continuing the work, not repeating it.” Juliana Rios, LATAM Group’s CIO/CDO Global EVP Digital and Data, accepted the Team Award on LATAM’s behalf at the IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards. She agrees that role models should open doors and create space for others to achieve even more, an approach she says has contributed significantly to LATAM’s success. “It is not just about being a role model for women,” says Rios. “It is about avoiding labels. Everyone is an individual, with an opinion and a voice. We need anchors to help us move forward, which means having a more pragmatic agenda. Different perspectives lead to stronger decisions.” LATAM launched its “Women who touch the clouds” (Mujeres que tocan las nubes in Spanish) initiative in 2022, giving women from different departments a platform to share their stories. “It was very powerful and showed what was possible,” says Rios. For LATAM, diversity and inclusion were embedded in its culture during the pandemic. It aims to encourage innovation and value different perspectives rather than seek constant validation. Targets can be part of a diversity journey, but Rios says the broader goal is to embed this mindset and establish best practice. “The pandemic was a moment of deep reflection,” she says. “This work will not be finished during my career, but each new generation brings change. Attitudes are shifting.” Hoskisson agrees. “Creating a culture takes time,” she concludes. “There is much to overcome, from organizational mindsets to societal norms, but our ability to change will drive future success. There is no magic wand, but 25by2025 has shown what is possible when the industry moves together.”