The airline industry has traditionally been a male-dominated sector, with women’s opportunities largely confined to flight attendant roles. However, in recent decades, positive developments have opened doors for women to enter what was once an exclusively male field.
In celebration of International Women’s Month, Philippine Airlines (PAL) recently operated nine flights on local and international routes with crews consisting primarily of women.
The nine flights, crewed primarily by women, were bound for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sydney, Hanoi, Jakarta, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Davao, and Iloilo.
Prior to departure, Philippine Airlines (PAL) celebrated this significant milestone for women’s empowerment in aviation with the “We Fly With Her” send-off event held at PAL Express Gate 2 in Pasay City on March 4.
The event also featured a panel discussion, co-hosted by Adobo Magazine, with prominent women from PAL, including Captains Lilybeth Ng and Amorelle Martinez, Jo-Ann Maluenda, Michelle Mariano, and Maria Dolores Castillo, moderated by host Bea Fabregas-Ramos.
The women discussed their experiences and struggles within the industry, with Castillo ending the discussion through a simple yet powerful anecdote that women have their own stories to be told and that they deserve to be heard and acknowledged by the community as empowered women.
Gracing the event was Captain Aimee Carandang Gloria, who was the first female commercial pilot in the Philippines and the first female airline captain in the country as well as Southeast Asia. For her contributions that have paved the way for more women to enter the male-dominated aviation industry, PAL has given her an award of recognition.
Before the event concluded, the female pilots leading the all-female crews on international and domestic flights were also recognized on stage. They, along with all the women on the flight crews, received special edition Barbie dolls in partnership with Richprime Global Inc., the Philippines’ official distributor of the toy brand.
The all-female flight crew departed for their destinations between March 4 and 9.