In observance of International Women’s Day, Paramount Business Jets (PBJ) is shedding light on the topic of supporting women within the aviation industry and to celebrate the significant strides made by women like Madeleine Gilad.
PBJ recently conducted an exclusive interview with Gilad, an exceptional aviator and trailblazer, whose story of perseverance and success serves as a beacon of inspiration for women aspiring to aviation careers.
According to Women in Aviation Advisory Board, the current landscape in aviation shows a conspicuous disparity, with women significantly underrepresented across various roles.
Despite women’s undeniable contributions to the field, they constitute less than 20% of the workforce in most aviation occupations.
The gender gap widens further in positions of senior leadership, professional piloting, and technical maintenance, with women making up only about 5% of airline pilots and 3.6% of airline captains.
This gender imbalance starkly contrasts with broader employment statistics, where women make up 47% of the U.S. workforce and 26% in STEM fields.
Over the past sixty years, the slow pace of change is evident, with minimal progress in integrating women into aviation roles, particularly in aviation maintenance, which has one of the industry’s most significant gender disparities.
Richard Zaher said: “As CEO of Paramount Business Jets, my pivotal role in promoting women in aviation has been fostering a company culture that truly embraces, honors, and celebrates women’s achievements within our organization.
“At Paramount, we are committed to building an environment where women’s achievements are recognized and an important part of overall success.”
Richard Zaher said: “As CEO of Paramount Business Jets, I believe my most significant contribution to advocating women in aviation has been to cultivate a company culture that genuinely welcomes, respects, and supports women.
“We celebrate the success of women in our organization and thank them for their invaluable contribution to our overall success. We would not be where we are without them.”
Paramount Business Jets emphasizes the importance of a cultural shift within the aviation sector, beginning with leadership and extending throughout the community.
Efforts are focused on enhancing women’s visibility in aviation roles, promoting inclusivity to value diverse perspectives, addressing language and appearance standards, adopting a zero-tolerance stance on gender biases, discrimination, and sexual harassment, and enacting inclusive policies to support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of all individuals, not just women.