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The International Air Transport Association has opened nominations for its 2026 Diversity & Inclusion Awards, sharpening focus on airlines and professionals delivering measurable change on equity across global aviation.
Award Nominations Open as Industry Enters New Phase on Inclusion
IATA confirmed this week that submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 edition of its Diversity & Inclusion Awards, a program created to recognize individuals and airlines that are reshaping who works in aviation and how careers progress. The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the sector, as carriers worldwide move from high-level diversity pledges toward reporting hard data on representation and inclusion.
The awards will be presented during IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, scheduled for 6 to 8 June 2026 in Rio de Janeiro. By tying the ceremony to the industry’s largest annual gathering of airline leaders, the association is signaling that diversity and inclusion are no longer niche human-resources topics but core strategic issues for boards and executive teams.
Nominations close on 5 April, leaving airlines, industry associations and advocacy groups just a few weeks to prepare submissions. IATA is encouraging stakeholders from every region to put forward candidates whose work has delivered quantifiable improvements in representation, workplace culture and access to aviation careers.
Each award carries a cash prize of 25,000 US dollars funded by Qatar Airways. Winners may choose to receive the funds directly or donate them to a charity focused on diversity and inclusion, ensuring that the program not only rewards success but also recycles resources back into grassroots initiatives.
Three Categories Targeting Real-World Impact
The 2026 Diversity & Inclusion Awards will once again be presented in three categories designed to spotlight both individual leadership and organizational change. The Inspirational Role Model Award recognizes a woman in a senior position whose influence has advanced diversity and inclusion across aviation globally, whether through internal transformation, public advocacy or sector-wide initiatives.
The High Flyer Award focuses on emerging talent, honoring a female aviation professional under the age of 40 who has demonstrated concrete leadership in driving inclusion. Recent winners have included founders of non-profit training organizations and advocates who have opened pathways into technical and operational roles for underrepresented groups, underscoring how early-career leaders are reshaping the pipeline of future executives, pilots and engineers.
The Diversity & Inclusion Team Award is reserved for an IATA member airline that can demonstrate measurable progress. This includes improvements such as higher female representation in senior management, growth in underrepresented groups in cockpit or maintenance roles, or stronger governance around pay equity and inclusive recruitment. Airlines are expected to provide data and evidence showing that initiatives have moved beyond policy statements into documented change.
Together, the three categories draw a line from individual role models to institutional transformation. By honoring both, IATA aims to show that sustainable diversity progress relies on visible champions as well as systems, metrics and long-term investment inside airlines.
Independent Jury Draws on Past Winners’ Experience
An independent judging panel chaired by Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief of Air Transport World, will assess the 2026 nominations. The jury is composed of the 2025 awardees, bringing first-hand experience of what it takes to design and deliver effective inclusion strategies in a traditionally homogenous industry.
The 2025 Inspirational Role Model Award went to Claudia Zapata-Cardone, president of Latin Professionals in Aerospace, whose advocacy has helped connect Latino talent with aviation careers and board-level opportunities. The High Flyer Award recognized Katherine Moloney, founder of Elevate (her) Aviation, for expanding access and mentorship for women in aviation fields that have historically skewed heavily male.
The Diversity & Inclusion Team Award in 2025 was presented to Air Canada, where director of diversity, equity and inclusion Christianna Scott has overseen efforts that have drawn external recognition as the airline continues to be named among leading diversity employers in North America. Their combined perspectives are expected to bring a practical lens to judging, emphasizing initiatives that are scalable, transparent and backed by data.
By structuring the jury around previous winners, IATA is creating a feedback loop in which proven changemakers help identify the next wave of leaders. It also reflects a broader trend in corporate awards programs, where peer assessment and sector expertise are increasingly seen as crucial to separating symbolic efforts from initiatives that deliver lasting impact.
From Pledges to Measurable Progress in the Flight Deck and Boardroom
The awards sit alongside IATA’s broader 25by2025 initiative, which asks airlines and aviation organizations to increase the number of women in senior roles and underrepresented areas by at least 25 percent, or to a minimum of 25 percent representation. More than 200 signatories have joined, reporting annually on gender metrics and sharing best practices through IATA forums and guidance.
Progress has been uneven but notable. Industry data compiled under 25by2025 show that between 2021 and 2023 the proportion of women on the flight deck rose by more than a third, albeit from a very low base, while women’s representation in senior roles passed the 30 percent threshold. For many carriers, these gains have required rethinking recruitment, training pipelines and promotion criteria, especially in technical and operational functions.
The 2026 awards cycle will highlight those organizations that have not only improved headline numbers but also addressed systemic barriers. That includes tackling unconscious bias in selection processes, building flexible career paths that accommodate caregivers, and creating inclusive workplaces for staff from different cultures, identities and abilities across global networks.
For candidates in the individual categories, the emphasis is similarly on measurable influence. Nominees are expected to show how their leadership has changed policies, opened doors for new entrants or shifted organizational cultures in ways that can be sustained after the award ceremony in Rio.
Why Diversity Has Become a Strategic Issue for Global Aviation
For IATA and its members, diversity and inclusion are no longer framed purely as matters of social responsibility. With global air traffic expected to continue growing over the next decade, the sector faces acute competition for talent from technology, logistics and other high-skilled industries. A more inclusive aviation workforce is increasingly seen as critical to attracting and retaining the pilots, engineers, data specialists and frontline staff needed to support that growth.
Executives also point to the customer dimension. Airlines serve passengers from virtually every culture and income bracket, and many now argue that having leadership teams and frontline staff who better reflect that diversity can strengthen service design, safety communication and crisis response. In emerging markets, a visible commitment to inclusion is becoming part of how carriers differentiate themselves and build trust.
The 2026 Diversity & Inclusion Awards are therefore poised to serve as both recognition and pressure point. By spotlighting airlines and professionals who can show real outcomes, IATA is sending a signal to the wider industry that representation, equity and belonging are now integral to long-term competitiveness in global aviation, not optional add-ons.
As the nomination window opens, the focus across the sector will be on which airlines, innovators and advocates emerge as frontrunners in Rio, and how their stories might serve as templates for the next phase of aviation’s diversity journey.