Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
QATAR AIRWAYS’ CHIEF sparked disbelief today by saying his carrier was led by a man because “it is a very challenging position” – even as airline bosses admitted more women should be in top roles.
Akbar Al Baker said his airline had taken steps to address gender equality, but when asked why it was led by a man, he replied: “Of course it had to be led by a man because it is a very challenging position.”
He later defended the carrier, saying it was the first Middle Eastern airline to have a female pilot and that other women were in senior roles.
“We actually encourage women and we see that they have huge potential in… senior management positions,” Baker said at the close of IATA’s two-day annual meeting in Sydney – during which he was anointed chairman of the global industry body.
IATA also has a similar position on promoting gender equality.
The organisation currently has just two female CEOs on its 31-member board – Christine Ourmieres-Widener of British budget airline Flybe and Air Europa’s Maria Jose Hidalgo Gutierrez, who was added today.
IATA’s chief executive Alexandre de Juniac acknowledged that having more women in senior positions was a “long-standing issue” that required further efforts from airlines and the industry body.
It released figures in March showing just 3% of CEOs in the industry were female, compared with 12% in other sectors.
Leading carriers in North America and Europe had the highest representation of women in senior roles at 16% and 14% respectively, IATA said.
African, Asia-Pacific and South American airlines were at about 8%, with the Middle East having the worst at 4%, the data showed.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce said at the same press conference that the Australian carrier had achieved a strong turnaround in profits partly due to its pursuit of diversity, with women making up 40% of senior management.
But he said it was “going to take a long time to fix some of the issues that are inherent in our society”, such as girls not studying science and technology in schools, which impacted their numbers in engineering and flying roles.
My lord is anything working in this place, the country needs a complete reshuffle from top to bottom… Department after department being run by people who quite honestly do not seem to have a clue what they are doing…
Year on year it gets worse, government depts seem to be systematically inept or ran by incompetent people with little or no over sight, but that’s normal, what isn’t is the general publics sudden amnesia come election time. You get what you voted for, every 4 years you get the chance. Cue the triggered FFG bootlickers….
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: it was a 10 day passport express thing pre covid. And will be again when the dust settles. You need to relax. Cue the shinners jackboot lickers.
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: a lot of the backlog is applications filled out incorrectly and therefore applications need to be re submitted
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: Why always the blame on public and civil servants? The people who do all the dirty work at the civil service are largely a dedicated and hard working work force (as hard as their private sector counterparts anyways). It’s the way things are managed and the way the government is run, and the amount of bureaucracy and red tape involved in changing absolutely anything, that has many services the way they are. Let me also remind you that civil servants have barely received a pay increase in the last ten years, yet inflation and the cost of living has been through the roof the last few years, a great way to retain talent.
@Tomo: the Health service has the biggest ever budget provided by the state. Yet the problems still persist, minister and governments come and go yet civil servants are still there so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the problems are.
@Paul Furey: the express bit is gone for starters!
@Patrick O Connell: No no no no no!!!!!!! This is not joe publics fault which is now the narrative.
The passport office is heavily unionised and was deemed non essential during the pandemic.
They decide when they have received your documentation, which leaves people in no man’s land.
Turn the whole process over to private sector.
3rd world country services
@John Johnes: ye because the passport service in Afghanistan is so much better ..
@Ciaran: I wonder is his also Munsterman?
@Ciaran: great comment
Nobody will get fired and all have their beautiful pensions.
Those kids should check their privilege :-)
You can checkout….but you can never leave.
Why didn’t they apply in time ,off on a fancy holiday.
@Betty O Sullivan: 4 months should be plenty of time for a first time passport and yet, here I am. Still waiting. Different answers from different agents all the time. Our photo was refused the first time because she was smiling. Imagine that lol. A 16 month old must have a neutral expression WHILE looking at the camera. It’s absolute NONSENSE.
@Betty O Sullivan: By the way, it isn’t a “FANCY” holiday for 95% of these people. I have scrimped and saved arse ways with my husband to be able to afford a holiday. These families have sacrificed and suffered enough over the last 2 years.
@Scarletrose: Fulling expecting an issue with my 3 week old babys photo. Next to Impossible to meet their out dated requirements especially where the Child is so young.
@Amanda Anderson: just make sure you get both ears in the photo and it’ll be good
have your say