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In Geneva, the International Air Transport Association has opened nominations for the 2026 edition of its Diversity & Inclusion Awards, inviting airlines and aviation professionals worldwide to spotlight the leaders and initiatives reshaping equity in global air transport.
A Global Call from Geneva to Recognize Inclusive Leadership
Announced from IATA’s headquarters in Geneva, the 2026 Diversity & Inclusion Awards aim to highlight individuals and teams that are turning high-level commitments on equity into visible, measurable results across the aviation sector. The program has become one of the industry’s most prominent platforms for honoring leadership on gender balance, cultural diversity and inclusive workplace practices.
The awards focus on progress across the full aviation ecosystem, from airlines and airports to air navigation services and industry associations. Nominations are open to professionals and teams worldwide, reflecting the global nature of commercial aviation and the shared need to attract and retain talent in a fiercely competitive labor market.
IATA leaders describe the awards as both recognition and catalyst, designed to showcase role models whose work can be replicated or adapted in other markets. By tying diversity to business performance and long-term industry resilience, the initiative underscores how inclusion has moved from a “nice to have” to a strategic priority for carriers and aviation partners.
The 2026 call for entries also reinforces Geneva’s continuing role as a convening center for international transport policy, where questions of access, opportunity and equitable growth are increasingly central to industry debate.
Three Award Categories Highlight Women Leaders and Airline Transformation
The IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards once again center on three distinct categories that capture different stages and scales of impact. The Inspirational Role Model Award honors a woman in a senior position within air transport whose influence on diversity and inclusion is felt at a global level, both within her organization and across the wider industry.
The High Flyer Award targets the next generation of leadership, recognizing a female professional under the age of 40 who has demonstrated concrete action to advance diversity and inclusion. IATA emphasizes that it is looking for initiatives that move beyond statements to deliver tangible change, whether in recruitment, promotion practices, community outreach or workplace culture.
The third category, the Diversity & Inclusion Team Award, is reserved for airlines that can demonstrate measurable improvements in areas such as gender representation, inclusive policies or leadership pipelines. This focus on data and outcomes aligns with broader industry efforts to benchmark progress and share best practices rather than treating inclusion as a purely qualitative objective.
Together, the three awards form a snapshot of how equity initiatives are evolving across aviation, from individual trailblazers and rising stars to institutional change programs that reshape how airlines hire, develop and promote their people.
High-Profile Jury and Financial Backing Underscore Industry Commitment
An independent judging panel will evaluate the 2026 nominations, chaired by Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief of Air Transport World. The panel brings together the winners of the 2025 awards cycle, including figures who have led influential networks, advocacy organizations and corporate transformation programs within aviation.
This continuity is designed to ensure that assessment criteria stay closely linked to the realities of implementing diversity and inclusion projects on the ground. Judges are expected to look for evidence of sustained impact, scalability and relevance across different regions and business models, rather than isolated one-off initiatives.
Each of the three awards carries a prize of 25,000 US dollars, funded by long-standing partner Qatar Airways. The amount can be directed to the individual or team, or donated to a non-profit organization working on inclusion-related causes, anchoring the awards in both recognition and reinvestment.
The financial backing by a major global carrier and the participation of high-profile industry figures on the jury signal that diversity and inclusion are now embedded in mainstream aviation strategy. As airlines navigate volatile demand, decarbonization pressures and intense competition for skills, inclusive workplaces are seen as critical to innovation and long-term growth.
Key Dates and Rio de Janeiro Spotlight for 2026 Winners
Nominations for the 2026 Diversity & Inclusion Awards are open now and will close on 5 April 2026, giving airlines, associations and individuals a limited window to assemble and submit their cases. IATA encourages detailed submissions that show not only headline achievements but also the pathways, policies and partnerships that made them possible.
The winners will be announced during IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, scheduled for 6 to 8 June 2026 in Rio de Janeiro. Presenting the awards during one of aviation’s flagship global gatherings is intended to maximize visibility for the recipients and give delegates a chance to hear directly from them.
For host cities such as Rio de Janeiro, the awards provide an added narrative to the usual discussions around traffic forecasts, regulatory frameworks and sustainability. They highlight how human capital, inclusive leadership and social responsibility are intertwined with route development, tourism flows and the economic impact of air connectivity.
By situating the ceremony within the broader AGM and summit agenda, IATA also creates opportunities for award winners to share their experiences in panels, workshops and informal exchanges, helping to translate recognition into practical guidance for other organizations.
From 25by2025 to the Next Chapter of Inclusive Aviation
The 2026 awards continue a trajectory that accelerated with IATA’s 25by2025 campaign, which challenged airlines and aviation companies to increase female representation in senior roles and technical positions by at least 25 percent, or to a minimum of 25 percent, by the end of 2025. That initiative has helped normalize the use of metrics and public commitments to track diversity progress.
As the industry moves beyond the initial 25by2025 horizon, the awards serve as a bridge to a broader conversation about equity, including intersectional diversity, inclusive leadership training and the design of recruitment pipelines that reach beyond traditional talent pools. Many of the programs recognized in past editions have combined gender objectives with wider efforts to support underrepresented communities.
For travelers, the push for diversity and inclusion in aviation can shape everything from the languages spoken by crew members and the accessibility of digital platforms to the cultural understanding reflected in onboard and airport service. The stories highlighted through the IATA awards offer a behind-the-scenes view of the people and policies that help make global travel more welcoming.
As nominations gather pace following the Geneva announcement, industry observers will be watching to see which regions and market segments emerge as frontrunners. Whether through pioneering mentorship schemes, data-driven workforce reforms or cross-border partnerships, the 2026 honorees are expected to provide a roadmap for how aviation can continue to evolve into a more inclusive engine of global mobility.