Q&A with Capt. Irene Koki Mutungi, Kenya Airways

As the air transport industry and airline travel recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for qualified personnel, including pilots and technical staff, will increase, and the industry may again be faced with the prospect of a critical labor shortage. Outside of human resources departments, women hold relatively few senior executive positions within the industry. The same is true on the flight deck, where women represent about 5 percent of the global pilot population and an even smaller percentage of captains.  Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have ongoing gender diversity initiatives, but women still face significant workplace barriers. When Irene Koki Mutungi joined Kenya Airways in 1995 as a second officer flying Fokker 50s, she became the first female pilot in the airline’s history. In the 26 years since, Capt. Mutungi has achieved a number of other “firsts,” including…