![WIDEN THE SKIES](https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1708709818/articles/OJmBB2a631709040587227/WIDEN-THE-SKIES.jpg)
It's 2018. At the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual conference in Sydney, Qatar Airways' former CEO Akbar al Baker declares that only a man could lead his airline, "because it is a very challenging position". That same year, journalist Angela Epstein appears on one of the UK's most watched morning shows to discuss the topic: "Would you trust a female pilot?" "If there's someone in a position of absolute power and control," she said, "then I'd like it to be a man". TUI Airways, meanwhile, takes heat for handing out "future pilot" stickers to boys and "future cabin crew" ones to girls.
And while it's true that no formal barriers prohibit women from pursuing commercial or military careers in aviation, a patriarchal cloud still lingers over the industry. Despite constituting half of the population, various sources reveal that women make up only 5 per cent of commercial pilots, 18 per cent of flight dispatchers, 26 per cent of air traffic controllers and less than 9 per cent of aerospace engineers. Additionally, of the directorate, women hold only 14 per cent of C-suite roles and account for just 3 per cent of CEOs across the world's top 100 aviation organisations. In fact, the only aviation career where women are not currently outnumbered is within cabin crew.
The truth is, ever since the Wright Brothers took that first flight in 1903, women have remained largely erased and discouraged from aviation. How many of us can say we knew their sister, Katharine, who was instrumental in running the company? But here's the good news - the tide is turning. And not just under the pressure of do-gooding corporate targets, but thanks to passionate, vocation-led trailblazers and increasingly credible business cases that weigh in favour of diverse teams.
SOARING DEMAND
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Business Traveller UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Business Traveller UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12157/1812534/UcIxYrW6-1724926161636/crp_Albania-Vlor-Hoxha-Tirana-Skanderbeg-Square-travellers-taverling-Albania-turism-Maldives-of-Europe-Ksamill-Balkan-country-Enver-Hoxha-Europe-Adriatic-and-Ionian-coastline-Albanian-Riviera-Dhrmi-hiking-trails.jpg)
Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun
Over the past few years, tourism has shot up stratospherically; recent figures from the European Travel Commission show it's grown 86 per cent since 2019. Its GDP per capita has also been increasing, and last year stood at US$8,800, while the average monthly salary is now around 84,000 lek (£704). Foreign direct investment is also on the rise, with countries including Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands targeting sectors such as energy, mining, information and real estate to a value of around US$1.5 billion in 2022, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report. Not bad for a country which used to depend on foreign food aid.
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Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London
Watching Kanesaka work his magic is performance in itself
![Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12157/1812534/opep32Ut71724928445636/SCANDIC-SPECTRUM-COPENHAGEN.jpg)
Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen
An impressive corporate hotel just minutes from Copenhagen's centre
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Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester
The perfect mix of gorgeous heritage design with cool, cosmopolitan attitude
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Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
A stunning success another calming experience in the capital
![Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12157/1812534/4okM0QBrJ1724927891955/EUROSTAR-BUSINESS-PREMIER-LONDONPARIS.jpg)
Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS
It remains the superior service for those travelling from London to Paris
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Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG
There is a lot to like, but my experience was far from perfect
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4 HOURS IN...Vienna
You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to the Austrian capital's museums, galleries and historic cafes
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SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY
Escape to the secluded forests of the Loire Valley for a digital detox
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More is more in the Maldives
From sky dives to submersibles, we explore the most extravagant experiences available in the Maldives