Winners of the 8th edition of IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards announced | News
“Diversity and inclusion provide opportunities for the broadest talent pools to build sustainable, long-term careers. In addition, it brings airlines even closer to the diverse communities they connect to global networks. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s awards as they demonstrate the many ways the aviation industry is becoming stronger by promoting diversity and inclusion best practices,” said Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief of Air Transport World and Chair of the Jury.
“Aviation is competing for talent. In that context, the IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards inspire the industry with great examples of the many initiatives currently underway. They send a strong signal to anyone considering working in our great industry that there are limitless opportunities for everyone to build a rewarding career in aviation. It is particularly encouraging to see the growing number of women in roles in the cockpit, on the ground in maintenance and engineering roles and in the office of the CEO. There is much more progress to be made, but it is important to pause and recognize the changes that are happening and those who are leading the way. Congratulations to all the nominees for the Awards and of course to the winners,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.
The IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards are generously sponsored by Qatar Airways. Thanks to their support, each winner will receive a prize of $25,000, payable to themselves or the nominated charities.
The IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2026 were presented at the World Air Transport Summit (WATS), which followed the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Winner profiles
Inspirational role model: Rania Alturki, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Saudia Group
Rania joined Saudia Group as the airline’s first female director with one clear ambition: to create opportunities for female pilots and cabin crew and integrate women into engineering and technical roles in an environment that remained closed to women for years.
Under Rania’s leadership, the group has undergone a remarkable transformation journey, with women now representing approximately 25% of the Saudia Group workforce and playing a key role in supporting the Group’s growth, innovation and transformation. In addition, 56% of cabin crew are now women and 34% of all new hires in 2025 were women, an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. Importantly, there are now more than 36 women working in various leadership positions within the Group.
Additionally, the launch of the Female First Officers Initiative has helped create new opportunities for women to pursue and advance careers as commercial pilots. Through the Group’s first Female Technicians programme, more than 280 women now fill technical and technical roles, while the SOAR Future Leaders program has helped create a self-sustaining pipeline of female talent in an environment that has for years been male-dominated, with women now representing 65% of all entrants.
High flyer: Fiona Omondi, Chief Strategy Officer, Tradewinds Aviation Services and co-founder, Women in Aviation International, Kenya
Fiona is a pioneer of the aviation industry in Africa and co-founded Women in Aviation International Kenya with the aim of raising awareness of aviation careers and supporting aspiring professionals through mentorship and outreach initiatives.
Fiona was also instrumental in setting up the Tradewinds Training Academy, which provides access to globally recognized aviation training and focuses on supporting students in building the skills needed to enter the industry.
These efforts have helped make aviation career paths more of a priority for youth across the region, which in turn has helped develop a more diverse talent pipeline.
Diversity and Inclusion Team: LATAM Airlines Group
The efforts of LATAM Airlines Group and its subsidiaries focused on increasing the number of female maintenance technicians, which increased in just four years from 111 in 2021 to 539 in December 2025 and continued to grow across the group.
Through a collaborative effort among senior leaders, HR, Maintenance, Branding, External Affairs and Legal team members in Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, LATAM Airlines Group has built a regional talent pipeline through scholarship programs, an internal AMT school and alliances with educational institutions, internship programs and on-the-job training opportunities. These efforts were complemented by the “Women Touching the Clouds” campaign (Mujeres que tocan las nubes in Spanish), aimed at increasing the visibility of the women at LATAM Airlines Group who dedicate their lives to building a more just world.
LATAM Airlines Group has dismantled gender stereotypes in technical roles and strengthened its workforce by expanding access to skilled talent in such an important area for the industry. This shows how inclusion can directly support business resilience and long-term growth.
