AirAsia wants more women working for them

AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar says students are encouraged to visit their facility so they can see for themselves the opportunities available.

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Berhad and AirAsia X are welcoming students to their facilities for visits so they can see for themselves the many opportunities that await them in the field of aviation.

Speaking at the Women do Wonders (WOW) Talks and Bazaar at SEGi University in Kota Damansara, AirAsia Berhad CEO Aireen Omar said despite having 54 female pilots and 69 female engineers, both companies were of the opinion there was room for many more women to join them in the various fields available.

“We are working with (educational NGO) Teach For Malaysia to bring students to our facility so that they can see what we do, learn about the women in AirAsia, get to experience our simulators, talk to our staff, and actually discover the opportunities available to them,” English daily The Star quoted her as saying.

When addressing the crowd, Aireen said that more could be done to increase the participation of women in the fields of science and technology, and as an example, held up a picture of the all-women crew of AK5110 that flew from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu last month.

The Star reported that when Aireen was done naming all the women on the flight including its pilot and cabin crew as well as flight dispatchers and technicians, the crowd roared with approval.

“This is actually very common at AirAsia because we believe that all our colleagues, regardless of gender, are capable of anything.

“Everyone comes from such diverse backgrounds, races and nationalities, but we all come together and work together,” she said.

The WOW Talks and Bazaar is the culmination of Star Media Group’s almost month-long women’s campaign in partnership with AirAsia. -FMT