MAS pushes for more women in aviation

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines has joined a global initiative to boost women’s representation in the aviation industry to at least 25% by 2025.

The airline joined the “25by2025” initiative by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that aims to create more career opportunities for women and champion gender balance in the aviation industry.

The 25by2025 initiative, a platform to share best practices and to monitor the industry’s goals and push for a gender-balanced workplace, has 57 signatories globally to date.

“We must consciously avoid stereotyping a job to a particular gender, which tends to be the norm in a male-dominated industry,” said Malaysia Airlines group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail.

“We believe talented female employees should be given an equal chance to explore new job opportunities and leave a lasting impact,” he said in a statement.

Through this initiative, Izham added, more opportunities will be given to female employees when they apply for senior positions with the airline.

“This also means promoting women representation in the workforce in under-represented roles such as engineers and pilots,” he said.

IATA’s regional vice president for Asia Pacific, Conrad Clifford, said he welcomes Malaysia Airlines’ move to join the initiative.

“By joining 25by2025, Malaysia Airlines is also signalling its commitment to advancing the role of women in the airline industry,” he said, while encouraging more airlines in the region to participate.