Introduction to Aviation Scholarship
For women from Arab countries who want to pursue a professional career in aviation, a new scholarship program worth $500k was started – a sector in which women only make up five percent of pilots worldwide.
The Scholarship Program
Supported by the Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA), the scholarship program aims at overcoming financial restrictions on women from the Middle East. The program’s goal is to challenge the perception that aviation is a male-dominated field by emphasizing that passion, determination, and skill, not gender, are what truly matter.
Progress in Promoting Gender Equality
However, countries in the region have made considerable progress in promoting gender equality, and the aviation sector is a strong example in which women now represent up to 48 percent of the workforce for certain airlines and aviation organizations.
Scholarship Details
As part of the scholarship, the academy offers:
- A full scholarship with a value of over $105,000, which covers all tuition fees and flight training required to obtain a complete aircraft license (ATPL).
- Ten fully sponsored scholarships for the Fundamentals of Aviation Course worth $35,000 to impart fundamental knowledge and early exposure to aviation careers.
Beyond Financial Support
The program goes beyond supporting tuition fees, including mentoring and internship opportunities to ensure that recipients are not only trained but also ready for work. Recipients have access to experienced mentors from the aviation industry to lead them during their training journey. The academy also works closely with industry partners to facilitate internship and potential job opportunities for selected scientists.
Global Representation of Women in Aviation
Women remain underrepresented worldwide in technical aviation roles. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), women made up only 4.9 percent of pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians in 2021. Regionally, the highest increase in the number of female pilots was observed in the Asian Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean, with North America leading at 4.6 percent.
Addressing Inequality
To address this inequality, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) started the "25by2025" initiative, aimed at increasing women in underrepresented and leading roles by 2025. The introduction of this scholarship program is a natural next step in the mission to remove one of the most common obstacles – financial restrictions – that can prevent talented women from making the leap.
Application and Selection
Applications for the scholarship program will be officially opened at the end of May 2025, with those selected announced in November 2025 at the annual meeting of Women in Aviation Middle East. All training courses are carried out in the IAA facilities in the United Arab Emirates. By offering this scholarship, the academy hopes to enable more women with the opportunity to start their journey and thrive in the aviation industry.
