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The fuelling sector has typically been male-dominated, but times are changing. Women are increasingly rising through the ranks as fuelling operators, engineers and operations managers and also on commercial leadership positions across the industry; businesses are realising that a diverse workforce is one that delivers better results.

According to a January 2018 report by consultancy firm, McKinsey & Co, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 21 percent more likely to enjoy above-average profitability than companies in the bottom quartile. The study also found that in addition to profitability, gender diversity is correlated with value creation, which is critical as we continue to innovate to meet the challenges of the future.

However, while progress is being made, the aviation industry still trails other sectors on the issue of gender and diversity. According to CAPA - Centre for Aviation, data for the US and the UK indicates that just over four percent of airline pilots are women, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has just two women on its board of 31 governors, highlighted the lack of gender balance at senior levels, stating that across the industry only three percent of CEOs are women.

Ensuring a better gender balance across the workforce is key to our diversity goals at Air BP. As a global company, we want a workforce that represents all of the societies in which we operate. At the group level, BP has established aspirational gender goals. By 2020, our goal is for 30 percent of our senior level leaders to be women and we are also committed to increasing gender diversity on our board.

One of the biggest areas of challenge we face is at entry level, where we notice there is a shortage of graduates with the right skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). BP is committed to improving pathways to STEM education and careers; our UK education programme was founded in 1968 with a clear aim - to inspire young people.

Bridging the STEM skills gap is essential if we are going to encourage more women into the fuelling sector. The recent Girls in Aviation day, organised by the Women in Aviation (WIA) International association, is one initiative that is aiming to do just that. The event was a huge success reaching 15,000 girls aged between eight and 17 at nearly 100 events in 14 different countries and highlighting the variety of careers possible in the aviation sector. I’m proud to have recently joined WIA, along with a number of my colleagues, and will be looking to take an increasingly active role in encouraging more females into the aviation fuelling sector.

Aviadoras aims to increase the number of female pilots.

I have been involved with the Spanish Pilot’s Association, Aviadoras, since its inception just over a year ago. The aim of this organisation is to increase the number of female pilots in aviation. At the first anniversary celebrations, which took place in Madrid in October 2018, we discussed the need to raise the profile of female pilots as role models for school age children and the need to increase the visibility of women in senior positions within the sector.

Melinda Green, general manager of Air Refuel, Air BP’s subsidiary company in Australia | Photo: SDP Media

Increasing the number of women in aviation is a challenge that we are facing and addressing in Air BP across the world. My colleague, Melinda Green, general manager of Air Refuel, Air BP’s subsidiary company in Australia, has taken part in BP’s ‘bring your daughter to work’ days. This is an initiative designed to motivate and inspire girls providing them with first-hand experience of some of the different career paths that are available to them. We are starting to see more females on the apron, and hopefully this means that when a child looks out of the window and sees a woman refuelling their aircraft, it will open their minds to some of the different opportunities that are on offer.

Air BP is a global business and we are currently experiencing a greater challenge recruiting women in the Middle East. That’s why next year we will be sponsoring and involving our team in seminars and panel discussions at the general assembly for Women in Aviation’s Middle East chapter, which will take place in Dubai in May. The region is currently experiencing high passenger growth, so there has never been a better time for women to build successful careers within the Middle East’s aviation industry. We are delighted to be supporting efforts to increase the number of women within the region’s fuelling sector.

In addition to engineering and operations roles it’s equally important that there’s visibility of women in commercial roles. Mentoring programmes are one way of supporting women in their careers and personal development. It’s about more than just offering female role models in the work place. In Air BP we have mentoring programmes that offer expertise and guidance when it comes to talking through challenges, but they are also there to sponsor and support their mentee and ensure they are progressing in the right direction.

In the future I truly believe we won’t need to be having this conversation. Businesses will be attracting, developing and retaining the best talent from around the world, regardless of gender. But until then it’s important that we keep finding ways to support women in the aviation fuelling sector and continue the conversation about the benefits of embracing diversity.

About the Author

Irene Lores is Air BP’s global marketing director for general aviation based in Madrid, Spain. She has over 17 years of experience in the fuel industry, working at BP since 2000 and Air BP since 2012. Her previous positions include general manager, Air BP West Mediterranean and supply manager, BP Gas España. Prior to joining BP, Irene worked for several years in the financial markets with international positions in Societé General Group and Natwest Bank.

Since taking up her role as global marketing director for general aviation last year, she has among other things coordinated the launch of the successful RocketRoute MarketPlace app, Air BP’s collaboration with Red Bull Air Race and announced a strategic partnership with Victor, one of the world’s leading on demand jet charter marketplaces.

Irene is a Spanish national. she holds a degree in Economics and Business Management from Madrid Autonoma University. She is passionate about aviation as well as her family and is a leading member of the BP Women International Network in Spain.