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SEPTEMBER 2018
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Flight Time
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5
emories of summer are
quickly slipping into
autumn and the start of
the academic year is upon
us. It’s an exciting time for
those embarking on new
goals and pursuits. We especially look forward
to welcoming on board a new generation of
student travellers and their families over the
next couple of months as they head off to join
those returning to further their
education at institutions across
the UK and in Europe.
One of the many hot topics
of the moment is that of gender
diversity. This is especially
relevant to aviation, a sector
renowned for being particularly
unrepresentative. As one of
only a small number of women airline CEOs in
the world, and one of only two females on the
32-strong governing board of the International
Air Transport Association (IATA), I am often
asked to speak and comment on this issue.
In my mind, there is no question that there
is enormous room for improvement and so I
am heartened that this debate is now firmly on
company agendas. From an airline perspective,
we all need to do more to nurture the same
basic expectations and education with both girls
and boys from a young age, encouraging and
enthusing them to become interested in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics –
STEM subjects.
Christine Ourmières-Widener
CEO
“We pride ourselves
on the diversity of
our workforce and
we have women in
every role, from
engineering to the
boardroom”
Welcome
M
They need good role models and mentors
to encourage and support them to not only
become pilots and engineers, but also to take
on management roles throughout the industry.
At Flybe, we pride ourselves on the diversity
of our workforce and we have women in every
role, from our engineering hangars to the
boardroom. Only 7.9 per cent of our pilots are
female at the present time, and while this is
higher than the 5.26 per cent industry average,
it’s clearly something that we
are not satisfied with so we are
not resting on our laurels!
Our thoughts at this time
of the year are also on the
numerous services we have
planned for the upcoming winter
season and, with next summer’s
flights also on sale, there are lots
of Flybe destinations to choose from, whether
you are travelling for business or leisure.
Booking early ensures you can take advantage
of the lowest possible fares.
We are also excited to be unveiling a brand-
new livery for our fleet, so do keep an eye out
for the very first aircraft in our new colours –
more details in next month’s
Flight Time
!
Wherever you are flying today, thank you
for choosing Flybe. Enjoy your flight.