Diversity on boards in aviation industry is plummeting

Diversity at the board level in the aviation industry is decreasing year-on-year as less women are employed in leadership positions at both the board and c-suite levels.

Just 17% of people at the board or c-level in the industry are women, according to a survey by the legal firm Mason Hayes & Curran LLP.

The aviation industry is becoming more male-dominated at the leadership and decision-making levels. In 2020, 22% of people at the board level in the industry were women. 

The key findings of the survey include the following:

• Over the past year, 46% of those surveyed reported no improvement in diversity at the c-suite level.
• In 47% of cases, the board had not changed.
• Only 41% of aviation firms surveyed have a diversity and inclusion committee.
• According to the survey, two-thirds of professionals believe their organisation would benefit from a diversity and inclusion team.
• The survey found that half of the respondents had not conducted a gender pay gap analysis in the past year.
• Just 11% of those surveyed said they had conducted a gender pay gap analysis. 

Mason, Hayes & Curran chair Christine O’Donovan said she was “very concerned” with the fall in diversity at the board level in the industry. 

“A simple and effective tool to embrace the gender issue is to establish diversity and gender committees with real power and authority to effect change.” 

Read more: Ten reasons boardroom diversity drives better results 

“Organisations should also consider conducting a gender pay gap analysis, share results with staff and stakeholders and, where needed, promptly effect measures to achieve equality in compensation levels for designated grades,” says O’Donovan.