Women in Aviation Advisory Board Gives the FAA ‘A Flight Plan for the Future’

The plan calls for a systems approach to remove a web of barriers for women in aviation.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 11:36 AM ET

Verified

Members of the Women in Aviation Advisory Board celebrate fellow WIAAB member Stacey Rudser (top row, third from right) following her public naming as president of the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance at the recent Women in Aviation International conference. [Courtesy: Rebecca Lutte]

Key Takeaways:

The aviation industry currently presents significant systemic barriers for women, leading to severe underrepresentation, minimal growth, and career attrition, primarily due to a negative workplace culture marked by discrimination, bias, and lack of support.
The FAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) developed a "Barriers Timeline Model" and approved a "Flight Plan for the Future" report to identify and address these deep-rooted issues.
The report contains 55 comprehensive recommendations for cultural changes, improved retention and advancement (e.g., parental leave, childcare, mentorship), enhanced recruitment, and better gender-specific data collection.
Implementing these recommendations is crucial for creating an inclusive environment for women, leveraging their full potential to ensure the aviation industry's sustainability, profitability, safety, and innovative success.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Crystal Barrois, manager of aircraft transactions and an A320 first officer for Delta Air Lines, narrated the different stories of two young girls with a passion for aviation Monday during the final meeting of the FAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB).

In the first story, Barrois describes an aviation industry that is not designed for, nor friendly to women—and a greater society ill-equipped to support girls and women who have a passion for flight. Despite the challenges, this woman sticks with it because she loves to fly, Barrois said. The story ends when the woman, now an airline pilot, has a child. Unable to balance the responsibilities of work and caregiving, and feeling overwhelmed, alone, and unsupported, she gives up her years of hard work and leaves the industry “because it’s just too hard,” Barrois said.