Copa aims to elevate women’s role in company

Copa Airlines has joined the global initiative “Commitment 25 for 2025″ of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to increase the presence of women in the aviation industry, while presenting  “Elava” its own program of diversity and inclusion. IATA is committed to increasing the number of women, especially in non-traditional positions, to bring it to 25%,” the director of Corporate Well-being of Copa Airlines, Laura Plata, told Efe.

Those airlines or companies that join IATA’s undertake to increase by 25% 2025, the presence of women in executive and managerial positions and in areas where they are “traditionally” underrepresented.

The program also promotes “the growth of women in managerial positions, that is, in the highest positions of the company,” explained Plata.

Copa Airlines has 36% of female workers throughout the company “without having a single position where there is no woman,” according to the director.

Women pilots
Copa is one of the airlines with the highest percentage of female pilots, with 98, which represents 10% of the total

The airline has 26% of directors or women in decision-making positions, as well as 41% of managers. In positions “traditionally for men”, it has 34 women aviation mechanics and aeronautical engineers who today work in the airline hangars. We are above that minimum, but we continue to work on that commitment by 2025 to further improve those numbers by 25% or more,” added Plata.

“What is proven is that women can go as far as they want. At Copa we are here to provide opportunities, tools, and support in that growth,” she said.

Through “Eleva”, the exclusive Copa program presented on  Thursday, “these specific actions are being encouraged,” according to Plata, who explained that the decision to name the project  Rleva rests on the fact that “it is closely aligned with the industry, as it speaks take off “.

“It is empowerment, leadership, success, value for each person, and being authentic,” she added.

The project is divided into three pillars, diversity, equality, and inclusion, which includes “people with disabilities, of which we already have 18 employees hired for their great abilities.”

 The “Eleva” program is focused on strengthening diversity, equality, and inclusion increasing the participation of women at all levels and in non-traditional roles, promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all more diverse areas and teams.