The Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference set a new attendance record during its 37th annual event at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, drawing 5,500 attendees from around the globe.
The three-day event, held March 19-21, featured members from 18 countries, including Kenya, Korea, and the United Kingdom. WAI CEO Lynda Coffman highlighted the organization’s growth, noting its 20,000 members across 112 countries and its expanding impact on the industry.
“WAI is proud to stand as a strong, global community…supported by solid financial health and a growing impact,” Coffman said during the annual membership meeting. “From awarding more than half a million dollars in scholarships at WAI2026 to expanding access through new programs like the Global Access Program, we are breaking down barriers and creating meaningful pathways for the next generation of women in aviation worldwide.”
While women represent less than 20 percent of the global aviation workforce, they made up 67 percent of conference attendees. The event included a robust job fair and a trade show featuring nearly 160 companies.
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Keynote speakers included National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren, retired Air Force colonel Nicole Malachowski, and former Wheels Up chief growth officer Stephanie Chung, author of Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You.
Malachowski was a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E squadrons, Air Force Thunderbird pilot, and 2019 National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee. Marren represented the world of industry, sharing insights gathered from more than 35 years of senior executive roles across the aviation, automotive, travel, and transportation industries. Chung is the first African American president of a private jet company JetSuite.
The conference also saw the induction of Olga Custodio, Joan Sullivan Garrett, and Nadine Berniece Ramsey into the WAI International Pioneer Hall of Fame.
Custodio is the first Latina pilot in the U.S. Air Force to become a captain in commercial aviation. Garrett is a flight nurse who founded MedAire Inc. in 1985 and launched global telemedicine. Ramsey was one of the first women to fly mail for the U.S. postal service and a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in 1943, where she flew the pursuit aircraft including the P-38, P-47, P-39, and P-51.
The conference traditionally features a plethora of seminars covering everything from different careers in aviation, tips for getting your foot in the door to get that job and climbing the corporate ladder, planning and achieving educational goals, leveraging experience into a career, and help for sharpening your networking skills.
Girls in Aviation Day
The event concluded with Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD), where 200 youths aged 8-18 engaged in hands-on activities to explore aerospace careers.
Along with their chaperones the girls interacted with WAI volunteers at 30 activity stations where they learned about different aviation careers and educational opportunities from universities, flight schools, and airline pathway programs.
Each attendee received a Girls in Aviation Day activity kit, a GIAD T-shirt, and WAI Aviation fun patch.
Scholarships and Other Highlights
The organization awarded 87 scholarships totaling more than $610,000 in scholarships this year, contributing to a lifetime total of over $17 million since 1995.
The scholarships are available to WAI members at most every stage of life and training who could benefit from receiving financial support to further their aviation/aerospace career pursuits.
The organization noted that this year 90 WAI members received scholarships to attend Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education Women in Leadership courses.
Other WIA conference highlights included:
- The WAI Chapter network has reached 174 chapters in 26 countries worldwide.
- Ximena Mendez of the WAI Chicago Leading Edge Chapter was named the recipient of the 2026 Dorothy Hilbert Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award.
- New WAI awards were presented during #WAI2026, including Mentor of the Year to Samantha Boyer, Spirit of Service to Liz Booker, and Board Chair’s Award of Excellence to Marci Veronie.
The 38th annual conference is scheduled for Feb. 25-27, 2027, at the convention center in Savannah, Georgia.
