Melbourne Airport marked International Women’s Day with a special celebration of women in aviation, honoring their important roles in the air, on the ground and on the airwaves.

Air India, which operated service AI308 from Delhi, had an all-female crew and both the flight deck and cabin crew were made up entirely of women.

The celebration extended beyond the flights. On the tarmac, the aircraft was serviced by an all-female ground crew, while female air traffic controllers managed flights in the sky. It is part of a joint initiative between Melbourne Airport, Air India and Air Services Australia to showcase the incredible contributions of women in the aviation industry.

Air India’s efforts to promote women’s empowerment in the aviation sector were further highlighted by the sight of women engineers, security officers, centre control staff and roster staff working behind the scenes on flight AI308.

India leads the world in terms of the percentage of female flight deck staff, while Australia’s is around 10 per cent. Notably, 16 per cent of Air India’s flight deck positions are held by women and nearly 15 per cent of its leadership roles are held by women.

Melbourne Airport CEO Laurie Argus spoke about the progress and challenges for women in a traditionally male-dominated sector. “Flights like this show that women can do anything in aviation today,” Argus said.

“There are so many different and exciting career paths in aviation, whether you want to be a CEO or not, but that wasn’t the case when I started my career in aviation 30 years ago. The saying “you can’t be what you can’t see” is true, and I hope that shining a light on these amazing women will inspire other young women to follow in their footsteps.” She added,

Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson was proud of the airline’s commitment to diversity. “Air India Group is committed to building a workplace that celebrates diversity, empowering every employee to reach their full potential,” Wilson said.

Rob Sharp, CEO of Air Services Australia, also highlighted the importance of diversity within his organization, noting the pride he feels when female air traffic controllers at the Melbourne air traffic control tower facilitate flights staffed by women. “In our leading industry role as an air navigation services provider, Air Services is committed to promoting diversity in our workplace as well as in the wider aviation industry. “We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion,” Sharp said.

He added, “International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the talented women across our organisation, from our air traffic controllers to our air rescue firefighters and engineers, and female leaders.”