AsBAA Celebrates 20 Years of Women in Business Aviation

Back, from left: Diana Chou, Board of Governors; Kathy Yiu & Vrushali Suvarna, AsBAA Discovery; Amy Yang, Board of Governors; Cathy Chui, Regional Manager; Sarah Keates, Partner, C*INC Front: Sarah Kalmeta, Board of Governors; Jenny Lau, ChairpersonAsBAA, Asia’s non-profit representative body for the business and general aviation industry (BA/GA) marked International Women’s Day 2019 by looking back over 20 years of Women in Aviation at the association.
 
Jenny Lau, the first female Chairperson of the association said, “AsBAA has an important role to play in representing the needs and voice of the industry. Gender equality is an essential and meaningful element of this work. Across AsBAA’s leadership, Discovery team, operational and administrative functions, we have implemented mechanisms through which women have greater opportunity and recognition in the industry. Likewise, we actively encourage our members to celebrate the successes of women. Whilst improvements are encouraging, the mid-term goal is that this becomes a non-issue. In another 20 years, I would hope that no one needs to ask, 'How does it feel to be a woman working in business aviation?' Because by then, leaps forward will have been achieved and equality will be a reality. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals that have helped support gender equality in our industry”. 

AsBAA, which was established in 2000, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary next year. Founding members Diana Chou, also a current member of the Board of Governors, said “Business Aviation is a niche industry. 20 years ago, we needed an association to ensure that our collective voice could be heard and that issues could be addressed with greater impact as a collective. This need has not changed and AsBAA provides an important platform through which matters such as gender equality can be tackled. I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my AsBAA colleagues today and look forward to seeing continued equality in our industry.”
 
AsBAA’s education and CSR program, AsBAA Discovery, actively encourages girls to explore future careers in business aviation. In the last two years, the program has delivered over 40 talks to young people in Asia, partly with a purpose of increasing awareness of the diversity of roles available for women. In 2018-19, the talks expanded to reach primary and high school students in Greater China, Singapore and Malaysia. In 2019, the AsBAA current Board and team of volunteers is made up of around 50% women.