MEN HAVE HISTORICALLY led the commercial aviation industry, and today only eight percent of airline and airport leaders are women. One of them is Christine Ourmières-Widener, CEO of TAP Air Portugal, who rose from the trenches of maintenance hangars to the top office of a world-class carrier.
Born in the countryside city of Avignon, in Southern France, Ourmières-Widener studied to become an aeronautical engineer and a master of aeronautics. Her degrees enabled her to join the prestigious team at Air France who took care of Concorde, the world’s most iconic supersonic airliner.
From there, she held managerial positions within the group’s commercial and distribution departments. Then, in 2008, she became the first vice president/general manager of Air France-KLM USA, which led to her first C-suite position: chief executive officer of Irish regional carrier CityJet.
Ourmières-Widener has also been at the helm of Flybe, the U.K.’s largest regional carrier. In 2021, she was appointed as TAP Air Portugal’s CEO, brought in to restructure the airline and help it recover from its post-pandemic woes.
Her road to the top wasn’t easy. “It’s been a long journey,” she told Business Traveler during an exclusive interview in Miami. “You need to be patient and resilient. You need to take the opportunities that allow you to learn more.”
Esta historia es de la edición February 2023 de Business Traveler US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 2023 de Business Traveler US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Around the World in 80 Ways - Oneworld releases an Al-powered travel service for extended international voyages
A new generative artificial intelligence (AI) travel agent will leverage Google Cloud to help ambitious travelers easily book international trips with Oneworld member airlines. The alliance’s Round the World fares allow passengers to book up to 16 flights between at least three continents on a globe-spanning trip that lands back home up to a year later.
Fast Company - In a partnership with SpaceX, United is rolling out revolutionary high-speed Wi-Fi on all its flights
United has become the first major U.S. airline to announce a groundbreaking partnership with SpaceX to equip more than 1,000 aircraft with Starlink WiFi. Passengers will soon enjoy high-speed, lowlatency Internet service, enabling seamless gate-to-gate connectivity across domestic and international flights.
Special Sauce - Celebrated chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis shares her Italian heritage through her television shows, restaurants, cruise partnerships and an exclusive line of curated products
Celebrated chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis shares her Italian heritage through her television shows, restaurants, cruise partnerships and an exclusive line of curated products
The Censoring of Social Media? - Why legislatures continually try to regulate freedom of expression, and what the courts are doing about it
There seems to be bipartisan agreement that everything from teen suicide rates to poor mental health and more is due to social media. The obvious solution, they believe, is to impose government oversight on how such services can be provided. Congress is considering sweeping social media legislation and a number of states have already enacted such laws.
Golden Age
Porsche celebrates a half-century of its 911 Turbo with a limited-editon model
The Season's Best Underseat Carry-Ons
Bags that make the most of your space while providing carefree convenience
Crystal Palace
Baccarat offers sparkling cocktails in Midtown Manhattan
East Meets West
Chef Cyril Lignac fuses French and Japanese cuisine in the heart of London
Bigger.Better.
American Express relocated and improved its Centurion Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address issues with overcrowding and enhance the customer experience
High Style
A nonstop journey from Singapore to Los Angeles in Business Class
