Flying high: Women in air cargo

As the air cargo industry continues to modernize, industry leadership is becoming increasingly diverse. Attracting new talent is imperative in creating workspaces equipped to handle the ever-transforming digital world. This sentiment has been a topic of discussion at many industry-related conferences in the past year, with leaders asking how women fit into a traditionally male-dominated environment. Despite a gender bias seen in conservative business verticals like the air cargo industry, more women are being recognized as major players in logistics at a critical turning point for the industry, Aliona Yurlova , director of enterprise shipper sales at digital booking company Freightos , told Air Cargo Next . Industry stats Women comprise 41% of the workforce in logistics, according to a 2022 Gartner survey of women’s roles in the supply chain. The research group found that women make up: 34% of first-line managers and supervisors; 30% of senior managers; 28% of directors; 21% of vice presidents and senior directors; and 19% of chief supply chain officers, senior vice presidents, executive vice presidents and chief people officers. These numbers indicate that women increasingly influence the supply chain in leadership roles. Compared with 2021, women's roles in logistics increased 39% year over year, Gartner reported. “ The diversification of skills , strategies, ideas, approaches and leadership styles brought by women into logistics,” Yurlova said, “fosters one of the biggest opportunities for innovation and exponential growth of our traditionally quite conservative and monopolized sector, along with the tech development and environmental policies, for example, being the other game-changing factors.” [caption id="attachment_57134353" align="alignleft" width="398"] (Courtesy/IAG Cargo)[/caption] IATA in 2019 launched the 25by2025 initiative to increase the role of women across the aviation industry by 25% by the end of next year. “The perception [of airfreight] is that it can be mostly frontline workers moving boxes … and it does struggle with its image to be perceived as one which is diverse and inclusive as an industry,” Brendan Sullivan , IATA’s global head of cargo, previously told Air Cargo Next . The initiative has more than 200 signatories; each signatory represents one company, generally an airline, though some forwarders have also signed. Women hold about 28% of senior positions at these signatory companies, IATA reported last year. Globally, signatories to the initiative are located worldwide, with: 44% in Europe; 23% in the Americas; 15% in Asia-Pacific; 11% in Africa and the Middle East; and 7% in North Asia. With the initiative, IATA also pledged to: Report annual diversity metrics; Create a forum for sharing best practices on diversity and inclusion and collate industry metrics in an annual update; Increase the number of women participating at events, panels and conferences to a minimum of 25%; and Increase the number of women appointed to IATA governance roles to a minimum of 25%. Women in air cargo “Wahine” is the Hawaiian word for woman or women, who make up 50% of employees at Hawaiian Air Cargo , the logistics arm of Hawaiian Airlines , according to the carrier. This is “a 12% increase across the operation over the past decade,” the airline stated in a March 8 report. “Within that group, 48% are cargo agents with an average tenure of 17.5 years.” [caption id="attachment_57142519" align="alignright" width="404"] (Courtesy/Hawaiian Airlines)[/caption] Women working in ground handling, warehouses, operation centers and flight line jobs at airports, an average of 45% for major carriers, far outnumber female pilots, who make up somewhere between 4% and 6% of pilots globally, according to market research company Centre for Aviation . Female executives across 28 major airlines increased 21% year over year from 2022, according to IATA. Major airlines reported on their websites that, in 2023, women held: 40% of all roles at American Airlines ; 40% of workforce roles and 20% of senior leadership roles at Cathay Pacific ; 54% of all roles at Delta Airlines ; 45% of all roles at Lufthansa Group ; 44% of all roles at Southwest Airlines ; and 46% of all roles at United Cargo . With the aim of diversifying the logistics industry and offering women mentors, resources and community, Celine Hourcade , founder and managing director of consulting business Change Horizon , and Emma Murray , chief executive and founder of Meantime Communications , launched Women in Aviation and Logistics (WAL) in 2021. [caption id="attachment_69966" align="alignright" width="247"] Celine Hourcade, founder and managing director, Change Horizon[/caption] Through collaboration and education, WAL set out to help more women reach senior leadership roles within the industry. When it launched three years back, only 13% of senior leadership roles in the industry globally were held by women, according to the company website. Now that number is 19%. To achieve its objective, the organization works to: Raise awareness of women air cargo professionals by publicizing their achievements; Maintain a public database of female speakers in aviation and logistics; Set up forums at global, local and company levels to share best practices and advice; and Maintain a database of industry facts and figures regarding the gender gap in air cargo. WAL set up several workshops following its launch to help women achieve greater status at their companies, Hourcade previously told Air Cargo Next . “Among key achievements, mentees reported that they had sharpened their leadership skills, expanded their network, [were] given opportunities to speak at industry conferences and, in one case, successfully transitioned to a management role,” she said. Navigating challenges Despite the progress, there are still obstacles, Freightos’ Yurlova said. “International logistics is a whole next level of complexity and diversity, since it brings together different verticals, cultures, locations and mentalities across all external and internal stakeholders on a daily basis,” she said. Other challenges to consider, according to Yurlova, include: Underlying gender-related challenges and dynamics; Balancing professional and family obligations; Accessing support networks and resources; and Underrepresentation in leadership roles. “Women in logistics often find difficulty accessing the same level of resources and networks that are available to their male counterparts. This can include access to financing, training, mentoring and internal sponsorship, industry associations, professional development opportunities and more.” - Aliona Yurlova, director of enterprise shipper sales at digital booking company Freightos Likewise, Ambra Ceratto, director of global operations at digital booking company WebCargo by Freightos , told Air Cargo Next that she faced her own obstacles when entering the industry. “The main challenge from my perspective is the lack of female role models,” Ceratto said. “If there aren’t many women in leadership positions it can be more challenging for female professionals who aspire to further their careers to find female mentors who can help them navigate the complexities of the industry.” [caption id="attachment_83744" align="aligncenter" width="343"] A Southwest employee scans cargo at Nashville. (Courtesy/Southwest Airlines)[/caption] Prior to beginning her career in logistics, Michelle Williams , managing director of strategy and business services at Southwest Cargo , said she did not recognize the importance of diversity in the sector, but has now changed her tune. “It’s incredible to go to an air cargo conference and see the various companies involved in this space,” Williams told Air Cargo Next . “I love when I walk into one of our cargo facilities and I see all types of people working side by side, with different genders, different looks, different experiences and tenures, all working as one team with a common purpose." - Michelle Williams, managing director of strategy and business services at Southwest Cargo Because of the wide variety of diversity on our teams, the people and companies that make up our industry, I believe we are better equipped to be successful with any of the challenges we face,” she added. Landing on learning Logistics as an industry brings to mind transportation and warehousing, which make people think of physical, labor-intensive jobs, Ceratto said. “I think this is why many think of logistics as a male-dominated industry,” she said. “Aside from the gender bias, logistics obviously encompasses way more roles that don’t require tough or physical activities, such as procurement, planning, inventory management.” To attract women to air cargo, the industry must address misconceptions about women’s roles , Freightos’ Yurlova said. The physical aspect of these jobs is now becoming an exception rather than the rule for hundreds of prominent logistics startups, she said. “We need to lift the veil of misconceptions and stereotypes that surround it,” Yurlova said. “Very little is shared with young professionals or college students about the real diversity of needed skills, job responsibilities and opportunities within the logistics and logitech sectors. “T here’s a lot of opportunity to grow, to learn, to thrive, to build and even to be a founding leader across many different aspects of business and business activities.”

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