- A Dh500,000+ scholarship program has been launched by Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA) to support Arab women pursuing aviation careers, especially pilot training.
- The program includes one full ATPL scholarship (worth over USD 105,000) and ten fully funded Fundamentals of Aviation scholarships (worth USD 35,000 total).
- Beyond financial aid, the initiative offers mentorship, internships, and potential job placements to help women transition from training to aviation careers.
A new scholarship program valued at more than Dh500K has been unveiled for Arab women who wish to pursue carrier careers in aviation an industry where women make up only five percent of pilots worldwide.
Supported by the Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA), the Women in Aviation Middle East scholarship program focuses on women from the Middle East who lack financial support.
In an interview, Dr Zeina Mehyou, Deputy CEO for Academic Relations, Governance and Student Experience, IAA, said, “We’ve long recognised the significant gender gap in aviation, particularly in pilot roles, where women remain highly underrepresented. Over the years, we’ve actively worked to challenge the perception that aviation is a male-dominated field by emphasising that passion, determination, and skill, not gender, are what truly matter".
"Yet, the UAE and other nations in the region have taken big steps towards gender equality, and the aviation industry is a strong case in point where women currently account for as much as 48 per cent of employees in some airlines and aviation organisations".
Under the scholarship, the academy is providing for the 2025 launch:
One full scholarship worth more than USD 105,000 (about Dh 385,350), which includes all tuition and flight training required to attain a full Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).
Ten scholarships fully paid for the Fundamentals of Aviation course, worth an aggregate USD 35,000 (Dh128,450), intended to provide young women with basic knowledge and early exposure to aviation careers.
Dr Zeina Mehyou clarified that the programme is not merely about tuition support. It has mentorship as well as internship to make recipients not just trained but also job-ready. "The recipients will have the benefit of experienced mentors who are in the aviation sector to mentor them throughout their journey of training, In practical terms, we are also collaborating with our industry partners to provide internship and potential job placement prospects for selected scholars, especially those that show excellence, to ensure they have a smooth transition from training to the professional aviation setting", she added.
Women are still underrepresented in technical aviation fields all over the world. As of 2021, by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), women constituted only 4.9 per cent of pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians altogether. Regionally, Asia Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean saw the greatest growth in the number of female pilots, topped by North America with 4.6 per cent. To help bridge this gap, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduced the 25 by 2025 initiative, aiming for a 25 percent rise in the proportion of women employed in underrepresented and senior positions by 2025.
"The introduction of this scholarship programme is an organic next step in our drive. It is meant to eliminate one of the most prevalent hurdles financial limitations that could deter talented women from making the leap", added Mehyou.
"Through providing this scholarship, we want to empower additional females with the ability to begin their journey and prosper within the aviation sector".
The scholarship programme applications will open formally at the end of May 2025, with the selected ones being announced at the Annual Women in Aviation Middle East Meeting held in November 2025. All the training will be carried out at IAA's locations in the UAE.
