Making Aviation Training More Family-Friendly: Insights from the WiAT Session at EATS 2024

Celebrating its first full year, the Women in Aviation Training (WiAT) initiative hosted an impactful session sponsored by Airbus on making aviation training more family-friendly. 

The WiAT initiative, launched at EATS 2023, is dedicated to supporting women in aviation training by fostering a community that encourages growth, ambition, and empowerment. Since its inception, WiAT has rapidly grown, uncovering critical challenges and areas for improvement in the industry.

Session Highlights: Addressing Family-Friendly Work Practices

This year’s session focused on making aviation training more accommodating for families, emphasising changes to support recruitment, retention, and work-life balance for aviation professionals. 

The panel featured Captain Louise Hahn (aka "Captain Mum"), Head of Training at ATCBT; Captain Veronica Žunić of Salient Aero; and Professor Sue Durbin of the University of the West of England. 

They discussed the systemic and cultural challenges families face in aviation training and proposed actionable steps to create a more inclusive environment.

Key Challenges Discussed:

• Work-Life Balance: Louise Hahn addressed the impact of training schedules and holiday allowances on family life. She highlighted examples of changing rotas and implementing more flexible planning for parents.
• Cultural Barriers: Veronica Žunić shared insights into global disparities in family-friendly policies, contrasting Europe’s structures with more progressive approaches seen in parts of Asia.
• The Role of Instructors: Professor Sue Durbin explored survey data showing how significant breaks from work impact progression, emphasizing the need for family-friendly policies within instructor roles to attract and retain talent.

Proposed Changes and Initiatives:

To address these issues, WiAT has outlined a roadmap for change:

• Flexible Scheduling and Equal Parental Leave: Implementing flexible work schedules and equal parental leave policies to better support aviation professionals with family responsibilities.
• Creating Inclusive Environments: Learning from examples set by airlines like Norwegian Air and Air India, the session discussed partnering with airlines to explore improvements in holiday and leave processes.
• Mentorship and Training Adjustments: Developing a mentorship toolkit and integrating communication and behavioural training into CRM (Crew Resource Management) to better support gender-balanced work environments.

Key Takeaways for a Family-Friendly Aviation Industry:

1. Embrace Equality: Promote equality at all organizational levels to build a more diverse and inclusive aviation workforce.
2. Integrate CRM Training Early: Introduce CRM training that addresses multi-gender work environments to reduce biases and improve team cohesion.
3. Leverage Existing Talent: Create pathways for women to re-enter the industry post-career breaks and provide leadership opportunities.
4. Adopt Flexible Policies: Establish flexible scheduling and parental leave policies to support work-life balance and employee retention.

WiAT’s Achievements and Future Goals

Since its launch, WiAT has grown to over 500 members and has initiated meaningful conversations through webinars on topics like culture in aviation and mitigating bias in CBTA (Competency-Based Training and Assessment). 

WiAT also introduced a Steering Committee to guide its objectives through 2025 and beyond, further demonstrating its commitment to meaningful change.

WiAT’s live session at EATS 2024 has underscored the importance of making aviation training inclusive and family-friendly, fostering an environment where women and all professionals can thrive. As the industry continues to evolve, WiAT’s work serves as a powerful reminder of the changes needed to create a more balanced and equitable aviation community.