It has been quite a few weeks for the women in aviation movement, with an inspirational trio smashing glass ceilings to reach senior, global leadership positions never before held by women. 

It is genuinely exciting to see such recent developments, marking a significant stride for women in aviation.

Joanna Geraghty was appointed CEO of Jet Blue, the first time, a major U.S. airline will have a woman in such position. Amy Leversidge became General Secretary at the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA)'s National Executive Council, the first female to hold the role in the organisation's 86-year history.

While Mitsuko Tottori will become the first woman CEO at Japan Airlines on April 1st, having joined the company as cabin crew staff and worked her way to the top. Tottori's rise is particularly noteworthy given Japan's dismal record in gender equality compared to other nations.

Amy Leversidge, General Secretary, BALPA. 

Image credit: BALPA

At Halldale, we salute the three women's achievements and hope they pave the way for others to follow.

The appointments, though, should not change the view that significant changes are still required to ensure aviation is a safe, viable and rewarding career for women to pursue.

Recently, an expose by a Canadian radio station alleged cases of sexual assault, harassment and misogny at at the country's only public flight training school, CQFA. 

While a 2022 survey by the Association of Flight Attendants found that 68% of the responding U.S. flight attendants experienced sexual harassment during their flying careers. Sadly, only 7% reported it; with concerns over retaliation and or inaction driving underreporting.

Recently our Women in Aviation Training forum hosted its first webinar of the year, a collaborative workshop looking at the dynamics of life for women in aviation and discussing and debating what needs to change.

The appointments of Geraghty, Leversidge and Tottori offer hope, but do we need top down change or is a bottom up approach more fitting given the widespread scale of the issues? How much can they change in their tenures?  It is hard not to think of the case study of Britain's Margaret Thatcher. Despite being the country's first female Prime Minister in 1979, she is criticised for not doing enough to break down the barriers for other women once getting to the role.

But, over four decades on, times are different. The world is finally waking up to the need for change, to investigate the reasons why so few of the relatively tiny number of women who do go into aviation end up quitting way before men do. 

To delve deeper into these discussions, Halldale invites you to join our upcoming Women in Aviation Training (WiAT) forum titled "Falling in Love Again - Why Have People Lost the Passion for Aviation?" hosted by the insightful Helen Heenan.

This forum provides an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities in aviation training, addressing the passion deficit and fostering a renewed enthusiasm for the industry.

Let's support these leaders and each other by working together on creating an aviation training sector that not only pioneers exceptional leadership appointments but also continues to break barriers and foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

Be a part of the change. Join us at the Women in Aviation Training (WiAT) forum and be a catalyst for progress in the aviation training industry.