Women Flying High On International Women’s Day

Brussels Airlines is celebrating International Women’s Day by operating its New York flight with a special all female crew.

As well, other carriers in the Lufthansa Group will also take off to the Big Apple with female crews as a way of paying tribute to the key role that women play in the aviation industry.

And it’s a role that should not be underestimated.

Belgian women have played a starring role in the aeronautical history. The first woman in the world to have flown with a passenger on board between two cities and the first Belgian who earned a pilot license was a woman from Ghent named Hélène Dutrieu.

While in many other countries women only started to appear in cockpits in the 80s, Belgium already had female pilots in the early 70s. The very first Belgian female airline pilot has indeed retired several years ago, after a very full career.

In fact, women make up 49% of Brussels Airlines’ workforce. They are represented in all departments of the company: HR, Marketing, International Relations, Legal, Customer Relations, Ground Operations, Maintenance, and, of course, on board of the aircraf – both in the cockpit and in the cabin. 10% of Brussels Airlines pilots are women and in the cabin this proportion amounts to 80%.

So to recognize this contribution, the Lufthansa Group Airlines – Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines – have sent all-female crews to New York for International Women’s Day (March 8).

Brussels Airlines flight SN501 is on its way to JFK with Captain Lauretta and First Officer Sarah. The service in cabin will be overlooked by Christine, Stephanie, Ashley, Chantal, Karoline, Nathalie, Ilse and Katya.

In total, more than 70 female employees of the Lufthansa Group land at the Big Apple today. On board, the speeches are specially modified to welcome the female passengers on this very particular day.