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IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards, sponsored by Qatar Airways, recognize individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have made significant contributions to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion within the aviation industry.
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These awards celebrate the efforts of those who have worked to create a more inclusive culture, foster a sense of belonging, and promote equity and fairness in the aviation industry.
By honoring these achievements, IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards aim to inspire others to follow suit and continue to work towards a more diverse and inclusive aviation industry for all.
Nominations are now open!
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Categories
Diversity & Inclusion Awards recognize three categories of leadership in diversity and inclusion:
- The Inspirational Role Model Award recognizes a woman holding a senior position within the air transport industry who has had substantial impact on diversity and inclusion in aviation through her significant influence at global level.
- The High Flyer Award recognizes a female aviation professional under the age of 40 who has demonstrated leadership through concrete action in favor of diversity and inclusion, making a positive impact on the industry.
- The Diversity & Inclusion Team Award recognizes an airline that has achieved measurable positive change in diversity and inclusion as a result of the work done in this area. Nominations in this category are open to all IATA member airlines.
Prizes
Each award category comes with USD 25,000 in prize money, generously funded by Qatar Airways. Winners will be announced during IATA’s Annual General Meeting in June 2025.
How to submit your nomination
To submit your nomination, please fill in the online form. You will need to prepare a simple 3-minute video explaining why a given person / team should be nominated and why they are a worthy winner.
In addition, you will need to provide a short explanation in writing why the person / team has been nominated. Nominations without video will not be considered.
IMPORTANT: self-nominations are not accepted except for the Diversity & Inclusion Team Award
If you are unsure how to upload a video to YouTube, please check out this short tutorial.
If you are unable to upload your video to YouTube, please share your video via WeTransfer to 25by2025@iata.org. Make sure to include the WeTransfer link in your written nomination.
Judges
The 2025 nominations will be evaluated by an independent panel formed by the winners of the 2024 Awards:
- Kendra Kincade, CEO and Founder, Elevate Aviation
- Mafunase Ngosa Malenga, Founder and Managing Director, Southern Africa Institute of Aviation Science and Technology
- Jade Fisher-Ryner, Inclusion and Diversity Advisor, British Airways
The judging panel is chaired by Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief of Air Transport World.
Kendra Kincade
CEO and Founder, Elevate Aviation
Mafunase Ngosa Malenga
Founder and Managing Director, Southern Africa Institute of Aviation Science and Technology
Jade Fisher-Ryner
Inclusion and Diversity Advisor, British Airways
Karen Walker
Chair of the D&I Awards judging panel, Editor-in-Chief of Air Transport World
Kendra Kincade
CEO and Founder, Elevate Aviation
> Find out more about the previous Awards winners
2024 Winners
Inspirational Role Model Award – Kendra Kincade
CEO and Founder, Elevate Foundation
Kincade is the Founder and CEO of Elevate Aviation. Under her leadership, the Elevate Foundation developed programs to advance gender balance in aviation, including a mentorship program, and the Elevate Aviation Learning Center, which offers aviation awareness and training from kindergarten through career. Kincade also directed the documentary "Only Up," which celebrates women in aviation and inspires future professionals.
High Flyer Award – Mafunase Ngosa Malenga
Founder and Managing Director, Southern Africa Institute of Aviation Science and Technology
Malenga founded the Southern Africa Institute of Aviation Science and Technology with over 800 graduates, 80% of whom are women. Beyond education, Malenga inspires young women to pursue aviation careers, breaking gender barriers and fostering a more inclusive aviation sector in Africa.
Diversity & Inclusion Team – British Airways
British Airways recently launched “Inclusion Starts with I,” an Inclusion and Diversity campaign emphasizing individual actions to drive inclusion, supporting the airline's strategy to promote diversity. British Airways achieved its 2025 goal of 40% female leadership a year early and is progressing toward its 2030 targets as a result of its DE&I efforts.
> Learn more about the 2024 winners of the IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards
2023 Winners
Inspirational Role Model Award – Poppy Khoza
Director of Civil Aviation, South African Civil Aviation Authority (SAACA)
At SACAA, Khoza’s work focuses on providing equal opportunities for women. She has led the transformation of the organization which now boasts women in 50% of executive roles. In her work, Khoza spares no effort in mentoring and coaching other women to challenge the status quo and create a more gender balanced aviation industry.
High Flyer Award – Camila Turrieta
Chair of the President’s Committee for Diversity & Inclusion, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and First Officer, JetBlue Airways
At ALPA, Turrieta is the voice for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the Association’s 63,000 pilots at 40 airlines. She leads ALPA’s efforts to use gender inclusive terms, expand the Association’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy to promote an environment of inclusiveness in the piloting profession. This led to the FAA requesting her assistance in creating an inclusive culture through positive regulatory changes within the aviation sector.
Diversity & Inclusion Team – Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways is a true pioneer in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. To support the refresh of the airline’s “Be Yourself” strategy, the company introduced bold changes which included:
- Revising policies to allow visible tattoos while in uniform,
- Launching the reasonable workplace adjustment policy to ensure its employees with disabilities get the support they need,
- Transforming recruitment to remove barriers by focusing on inclusion and accessibility.
> Learn more about the 2023 winners of the IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards
2022 Winners
Inspirational Role Model Award – Güliz Öztürk
CEO at Pegasus
As the first female CEO in the field of air transportation in the history of Turkish civil aviation, Öztürk serves as a strong inspiration for women in Türkiye and around the aviation world. She joined Pegasus in 2005. As Chief Commercial Officer, she pioneered numerous diversity and inclusion initiatives. Öztürk is also the co-chair of the airline’s Women in Sales Network, a company-wide initiative to improve gender balance in commercial departments.
High Flyer Award – Kanchana Gamage
Founder and Director of the Aviatrix Project
As a diversity champion from an ethnic minority background, UK-based Gamage continues to be a role model for the next generation of women. Having worked on bridging the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) gap, particularly in relation to the under representation of women in the aviation industry, Gamage launched The Aviatrix Project in 2015.
Diversity & Inclusion Team – airBaltic
AirBaltic’s core values “We deliver. We care. We grow” reflect the airline’s approach to operating in a globalized industry, such as aviation. Diversity and inclusion have become a key differentiator for the carrier, which has introduced a strict zero discrimination policy and where 45% of the airline’s top management team comprises women, a figure that is significantly higher than the industry’s average. AirBaltic is recognized for promoting gender equality across the company.
> Learn more about the 2022 winners of the IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards
Submission Deadline: 6 April 2025
Any question? Please contact us at 25by2025@iata.org
For more information, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
