The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the winners of the 3rd edition of the IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards.

  • Inspirational Role Model: Güliz Öztürk (CEO, Pegasus Airlines)
  • High Flyer Award: Kanchana Gamage (Founder and Director, The Aviatrix Project)
  • Diversity & Inclusion Team: airBaltic

The IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards recognise individuals and teams that are helping aviation improve gender balance. Determination to make this happen is a common denominator for this year’s winners. They are breaking barriers and helping to make aviation an equally attractive career choice for men and for women, says chair of the judging panel and Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker.

Other members of the judging panel are recipients of the 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Awards:

  • Harpreet A de Singh (Executive Director, Air India)
  • Jun Taneie (Director of Diversity & Inclusion Promotion, All Nippon Airways – ANA)
  • Lalitya Dhavala (former Aviation Engineering Consultant, McLarens Aviation)

IATA Director General Willie Walsh congratulated the winners of the 2022 awards, whom he said demonstrate the change that is happening in aviation.

A few years ago, just 3% of IATA airline CEO were women. Today, that is nearing 9%. Even more importantly, there are many more women in the senior ranks as we are seeing with the growing commitment to the 25by2025 initiative.

He added that as the industry scrambles with skill shortages, it cannot afford to ignore half the population. Change will not happen overnight, but with the efforts of those being awarded today and many others across the industry. Walsh said he is confident that the face of aviation’s senior management will look very different in the next years.

Qatar Airways is the sponsor of the Diversity & Inclusion Awards. Each winner receives a cash prize of US$25,000, payable to the winner in each of the categories or to their nominated charities.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said it is wonderful to see the increasing number of female role models emerging in the industry. He said that not only does this impact positively at the senior level now, but it also inspires the aviation leaders of the future.

The 2022 IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards were presented during the World Air Transport Summit, which followed the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting in Doha.


Check out Marhaba’s FREE e-Guides for everything you need to know about Qatar.