Women in aviation find wind beneath their wings

More than 120 people gathered last week at a networking event of a new WA Women in Aviation (WAWIA) group, designed to bring together women working in aviation to network, discuss issues and support each other in their careers.

The group comes at a time when the need to recruit and retain women in the global aviation industry is more important than ever before in the face of a growing skills crisis.

The networking group was initiated by Laura Benger, chief executive officer of Perth-based charter airline Maroomba Airlines. When Laura joined the airline from the mining sector nearly two years ago, she reached out to women working in the sector to meet peers and understand the aviation ecosystem. Ms Benger put out an open invite to meet at a local pub for a meal and 28 women showed up.

“What I learned from that night was that there were all these people from different companies, but nobody has ever done this before. We haven’t come together to help each other out,” Ms Benger says. “The problems we were talking about were all the same problems, just no-one was talking. “

The group is intended to provide a space where people can come together and talk through challenges, help each other, fast-track issues and “build an industry we are all extremely proud of”, Ms Benger says, with the group hoping to meet every six months.

Issues facing women working in aviation were highlighted by Marita Lintener, who has worked in the global aerospace and aviation sector for more than 30 years and is currently president of the International Aerospace Women’s Association (IAWA). Ms Lintener, who splits her time between Perth and Germany, reached out to Ms Benger offering mentorship and support when she joined Maroomba.

Lintener presented the findings of the recently released Lift Off to Leadership report commissioned by IAWA and conducted by global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The first edition in 2021 focused on North America and was designed to identify hurdles to women progressing careers in aviation.

The latest edition was global, with 253 respondents from around the world. The study found men and women have different perceptions around their career prospects in the aviation industry.

Only 16 per cent of women respondents felt supported in their role by their company, compared with 48 per cent of men.

Some 51 per cent of women said they were considering leaving the industry, compared with 49 per cent of men.

Interestingly, while men were leaving the industry for better prospects and increased salaries, women were leaving due to barriers including implicit bias, negative career experiences, lack of career opportunities, male-focused infrastructure and cultural norms, the study found.

“Women feel pushed out, while men are pulled out by the attractions of another industry,” Ms Lintener says. Some 44 per cent of men and women aspire to reaching the C-suite, but only 28 per cent of women compared with 33 per cent of men expect to achieve it, with 40 per cent of the women questioned attributing this to implicit bias.

On a positive note, the study found a shift in what matters to employees, with work flexibility no longer solely a female issue.

Both men and women rated the importance of flexible and remote working options more highly than in the 2021 survey. This is in line with a generational shift under way, with generation Z demanding and expecting a better work-life balance, Lintener says.

The study determined that building a culture of advocacy is the way forward, with women especially recognising the value of sponsorship in helping them achieve career goals, although only 25 per cent of respondents acted as sponsors.

“Everyone can be a sponsor,” Lintener says.

Among the report’s recommendations are that women need to have a sponsor and build strategic peer networks across organisational boundaries, while companies need to embed active sponsorship and leadership development as core competencies, accommodate diverse leadership pathways and address the daily experience of women to reduce attrition.

A panel discussion, including executives from Perth Airport, Aerodrome Management Services, Fortescue and CEOs for Gender Equity highlighted the importance of building career pathways and creating the right culture to attract and retain employees and provide an environment to allow them to thrive.

The formation of WAWIA comes as the Federal Government works towards a Gender Equity Charter (GEC) for Australian Aviation. The GEC was a recommendation from the 2024 Aviation White Paper, which identified that around two-thirds of people employed in the country’s aviation sector are men and found a gender pay gap of 37.2 per cent in average total remuneration. The GEC is designed to support inclusive, dynamic workplaces and help address key workforce shortages across the industry.

Consultation on a draft GEC recently closed, with the GEC aiming to increase employment targets for women in senior and operational aviation roles, reduce gender pay gaps, and improve policies and practices to support and promote inclusive workplace culture.