Inspiring women to reach for the sky...

A GROUND-BREAKING forum aimed at inspiring young women in the region to take up careers in the aviation and aerospace industries will be held as part of the fastest growing air show in the Middle East this week.

The Women in Aviation, an initiative of the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry in partnership with the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2018 and Red House Marketing, is lined up for the third and final trade day of the biennial air show, which starts on Wednesday at the Sakhir Air Base.

Held under the theme, ‘Championing the Promotion, Empowerment and Advancement of Women in the Aviation and Aerospace Industries (regionally and internationally)’, the two-hour conference will feature a panel comprising five leading professionals from the aviation and aerospace industries.

It provides a forum for young women from the Gulf, oriented towards professional careers in the aviation and aerospace industries, to openly discuss the challenging issues facing them in the pursuit of their careers.

The event will be broadcast live on social media channels.

BIAS is the fastest growing air show in the region, having seen its exhibitor base increase by 70 per cent, with a 75pc increase in visitor numbers since the inaugural edition in 2010.

It is now one of the region’s most important and influential trade events.

“We are proud, in Bahrain, to have women participate in different segments in the value chain of the aviation industry,” said Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed.

“We see them working as air traffic controllers, as pilots, as engineers, within the Civil Aviation Authority, and we see them even with the ground-handling companies.”

However, he said there is a great opportunity here to expand and increase the number of women taking part in the sector.

“We have not done enough – the whole region – to increase the participation of women and I am looking forward to the outcomes of the event.

“I am sure they will come up with recommendations or some solutions that we can consider, here, in Bahrain.”

The minister also praised the role of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) which is Bahrain’s advisory body to the government on women’s issues, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad.

“We are always mindful of the support we receive from the council in helping empower women in Bahrain to train as pilots, air traffic controllers, aeronautical engineers and administrators in our industry.”

Senior women aviation professionals from Bahrain and the Gulf region will be making up the team of panelists leading the discussion at the conference.

Alia Al Twal, the trail-blazing Jordanian pilot, will moderate the panel discussion. Panellists and participants will include senior commercial aviation management officials, airport management/operation planners, commercial and military pilots and technicians, space programme executives, aircraft engineers and maintenance technicians, aircrews, flight trainers and senior air traffic control executives.

Organisers are expecting 60-80 attendees mainly from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain. More information is available at www.womeninaviationconference2018.com.

Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/430458/Inspiring-women-to-reach-for-the-sky