Women Account for Fewer Than 5% of Airline CEOs Around the World

The number of women taking the reigns of large, small, legacy and low-cost carriers revealed that women account for fewer than 5 percent of all airline CEOs. Only twelve out of the 248 airlines operating worldwide are currently led by women. Of those, six women lead full-service airlines, four lead low-cost carriers, and two are at subsidiaries. The ten airlines are spread throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, but no North American airlines make the list. Most of the women listed below are the first females to lead an airline in their country. One hundred years after the first commercial flight the industry's most influential leaders fall short of reflecting half of the global traveler population. Airlines With Female CEOs Airline Name CEO Country Type of Airline Air Asia Aireen Omar Malaysia LCC Air Namibia Theo Miriam Namases Namibia FSC CityJet Christine Ourmières Ireland Regional/Subsidiary EasyJet Carolyn McCall UK LCC Jetstar Group Jayne Hrdlicka Australia LCC Kuwait Airways Rasha Al Roumi Kuwait FSC Precision Air Sauda Rajabu Tanzania FSC Syrian Arab Airlines Ghaida Abdullatif Syria FSC TAM Airlines Claudia S