Aviation: Thrust on skilling women

Special session on women held at recently concluded Airport Show brought into focus many underlying issues, including need for enhancing their training methods to prepare them for future.

Shehara Rizly

Every year, Airport Show hosts a special summit for women in aviation, which focuses on key issues facing them. This year, the focus was on the pressing need to educate and train the women in aviation.

Mervat Sultan, President,
Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter, reiterated that the aviation industry should now talk about how important it is to hone the skills of women, how to get the new generation to receive proper education and training. “We have fewer women, let us have more women in aviation is old story. Now, we are concentrating on how to give our new generation a proper education, prepare them to get involved in new technology as they are moving very fast,” she said. “As for the achievement of women, she said: “If you go to important aircraft, you can more or less see either the captain or the despatchers or the engineers are women. If you go to the Air Traffic Control Tower, there are ladies. But that is not enough. “The pandemic has moved us 20 years in front, now we have technology, which we are supposed to use after 20 years. This has given us the opportunity to get into the market of new technology. The new generation is well prepared, but we must make use of the educational institutions and training institutes for enrolling more women,” she added.

The Assembly hosted many sessions addressed by HRH Prince Fahd bin Mishaal Al-Saud, Chairman of the Board, Saudi Aviation Club (SAC) and Chairman of GCC Aviation Authority. “Covid-19 has fast-tracked the adoption of technology across the aviation industry. Airports, airlines, ANSPs, ground handlers and all other stakeholders used the pandemic downtime to rethink their operational processes and put in place new technologies that will enhance efficiency and safety once the industry returns to its previous levels,” she said.

Dr. Eng. Suaad Al Shamsi, Technical Advisor – Hub Operations and Midfield, Etihad Aviation Group, Jassim Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Human Capital Manager, Strata, Dr. Reem Labhar, Etihad, also addressed the session.