Celebration of the Global Science Day for Women and Adolescent Girls
Airbus, a global leader in the aviation industry, is making significant strides in fostering women's careers in various aviation disciplines. The company's commitment to gender balance and diversity is evident in its initiatives aimed at promoting career growth, creating inclusive environments, and encouraging young people to pursue a career in aviation.
Inspired by Complexity and Collaboration
Sayo Nishigaki, an airworthiness engineer at Airbus Helicopters Japan, is inspired by the fact that Airbus products support customers in a range of tough operations. Nishigaki is also fascinated by the technical complexity of Airbus products and the collective effort required to make them.
Flight Instructors Turned Airbus Pilots
Esther Beckett, originally from France, works as an instructor pilot for Airbus Helicopters in North America, specializing in the H125, H130, and H145 helicopters. Beckett has flown and provided flight instruction in the US, Canada, and Europe for over ten years. Her journey began after working as an interpreter for a helicopter manufacturer, which sparked her interest in becoming a pilot.
Diversity and Inclusion at Airbus
Airbus implements specific diversity and inclusion programs aimed at fostering women's careers in aviation. The company promotes a gender-balanced workforce by setting targets such as increasing female recruitment and supporting women's career development across engineering, IT, customer service, and research roles within aviation.
The company's approach includes targeted recruitment goals to increase female representation in technical and leadership positions, supportive policies to improve work-life balance and career progression for women, creating an inclusive work environment promoting gender diversity within Airbus teams across multiple countries, and encouraging women technicians, engineers, and pilots in various aviation disciplines.
This aligns with broader industry efforts, where many aerospace and aviation organizations establish metrics and programs to increase women's participation, such as aiming for 40% female recruitment by 2025, ensuring gender diversity in evaluation panels, and fostering leadership opportunities for women.
Engineers Making a Difference
Natalia Fedortchenko, a materials and processes engineer at Airbus Helicopters in France, works in the Centre of Excellence for dynamic composite parts at the Paris Le-Bourget site. Her role involves screening, qualifying, and industrializing coating products for helicopters. Recently, she contributed to the implementation of an innovative painting process during the production phase.
Fedortchenko appreciates the variety in her daily job, which includes moments at her desk, in production, and in the lab. Her work contributes to the safety of helicopters through a comprehensive set of tests.
Pioneers Shaping the Future of Vertical Flight
Isabelle Rouxel, in Germany, coordinates the testing activities for Airbus' eVTOL prototype, CityAirbus NextGen. Rouxel, who was inspired to work in aviation as a child, wanting to pilot aircraft, aims to shape the future of vertical flight through innovation and decarbonisation.
In Spain, Maria Jesus Ruano has been with Airbus for 11 years and currently works as an AET for the H160 rear fuse. Vanessa Durant, in France, manages production and quality management for various helicopter models in the H215, H225, H215M, and H225M Final Assembly Line.
Each of these women plays a crucial role in the continued success and innovation of Airbus, contributing to the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of aviation. Their stories serve as an inspiration for young women considering a career in the aviation industry.
Airbus's commitment to gender balance and diversity, combined with its focus on creating a supportive and inclusive work environment, is helping to pave the way for a more diverse and equitable future in aviation.
- Sayo Nishigaki, working in the field of environmental science, finds inspiration in Airbus' products supporting various customers and the collective effort for their technical complexity.
- Esther Beckett, originally from the health-and-wellness sector, is now an airbus pilot in the lifestyle category, specializing in flying helicopters and providing instruction in different countries.
- Airbus, apart from aviation, has initiatives targeted towards promoting menopause care and education-and-self-development among female employees.
- Despite the challenging nature of the space-and-astronomy field, Investing in new technologies and encouraging young women to pursue careers in this area is becoming increasingly important for Airbus.
- Airbus prioritizes personal-finance planning for its employees, offering benefits such as financial counseling and retirement planning to ensure a secure future for all workers.
- In the realm of business, Airbus is expanding into the sports arena by sponsoring various teams and events to connect more closely with its customers.
- As part of its commitment to travel, Airbus recently collaborated with an environmental organization to research and develop eco-friendly aircraft technology, aiming to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.
