Convinced that its employees are its greatest asset, Air France places diversity and inclusion at the heart of its strategy. These core values contribute to everyone’s well-being and also foster performance and innovation. Workplace gender equality is therefore a key focus of the airline’s policy, which implements concrete actions to offer an inclusive and equitable professional environment while supporting women in their professional development.
Air France reaffirms its commitment to women’s leadership
For the fourth consecutive year, Air France participated in the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, held on November 6–7, 2025, in Paris. The Women’s Forum is an international organization dedicated to promoting women’s leadership and diversity in the economy and society, bringing together leaders, decision-makers, experts, and academics from around the world to discuss major economic, social, and environmental issues.
Since 2021, Air France has been a proud partner of the event. This year, the airline provided logistical support for the Rising Talents program, which gathers 13 promising young women, recognized for their leadership potential and commitment across various fields. Through personalized support, coaching, and networking opportunities, this program actively supports the next generation of influential women in the economy and society.
With “courage” as its central theme, the event was once again filled with inspiring discussions and innovative workshops. Florence Estra, SVP Internal Communications at Air France, spoke during the roundtable dedicated to mentorship and women’s empowerment, alongside Alexia Laroche-Joubert, CEO of Banijay France; Serena Aboutboul, Head of the Nutrition Strategic Unit at Nestlé; Karin Sheppard, SVP Managing Director Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group; and moderated by Chiara Allegri, International General Manager, Carita.
Florence Estra emphasized the importance of women’s voices in strategic decision-making and the role of mentorship in career development, highlighting Air France’s commitment to increasing gender diversity in aviation professions and the initiatives implemented by the airline. This talk was also an opportununderscoret Air France’s policy on gender equality and to underscore the importance of support through mentorship and coaching, as well as the need to allocate appropriate budgets to ensure fair compensation.
Promoting diversity and women’s careers: a priority for Air France
Air France is actively involved in a number of initiatives to inspire future generations and encourage women to pursue careers in the aviation sector. Since 2022, the company has been a signatory of the “Féminisons les métiers de l'aéronautique et du spatial” Charter, an agreement that sets out concrete measures to ensure gender balance, support the professional development of women at Air France, increase the proportion of women in management committees, ensure equal treatment – particularly in terms of pay – and encourage more women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated roles. It also reaffirms Air France’s commitment to combating sexism and domestic violence. In addition, Air France is working with the “Elles Bougent” association, which fights gender stereotypes and promotes diversity through meetings and exchanges between women students and professionals in the sector.
All these actions actively contribute to increasing the number of women in aviation professions and facilitating women’s access to leadership positions: in 2024, women accounted for 17% of roles in aircraft maintenance at Air France, a rate that has more than doubled in ten years. Meanwhile, 33.3% of positions in management bodies are now held by women. Through all these initiatives, Air France is pursuing its efforts to advance professional equality and promote a fairer and more equitable work environment.