Women in Aviation India (WAI) celebrated the 10th edition of its flagship initiative – Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) with an inspiring event in Mumbai recently, in collaboration with our valued partner ‘Millenium Aerodynamics Pvt. Ltd.’ who have supported our endeavours year after year. The landmark occasion marks a decade of empowering young girls to explore careers in aviation and aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, and his powerful belief that “When women prosper, the world prospers.”
Since its inception in 2016, GIAD has grown into a transformative movement, reaching over 50,000 girls across 30+ cities, from metros to remote towns, with the invaluable support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The initiative continues to bridge the gender gap in a sector long dominated by men by fostering awareness, education, and mentorship.
The Mumbai program featured motivational sessions by our members who are accomplished women aviators, alongside distinguished professionals from the aviation industry including Mamta Patwa, Director – Corporate Channel, Make My Trip, Sujata Mariwala, Marketing Sales Representative Partner India and Asia, Hitit Airline IT Solutions, Commander Pushpa Pandey – General Manager, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Minal Naik, Head – Corporate and Guest Relations, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Archana Waghdare – General Manager, Administration, Procurement and Accounts, Bird Airport Services Mumbai Pvt. Ltd. who inspired students from Kherwadi Municipal School & Gazdar Park Manekji Municipal School with enriching stories of determination and interesting insights about the wide array of opportunities in the industry. Milan Zatakia – Chairman, Millenium Aerodynamics, Mumbai and Shivani Hire, Manager – Talent Engagement & Communication, Millennium Aerodynamics also engaged meaningfully with the girls.
The interactive program created awareness amongst the participants about aviation’s wide-ranging career opportunities, while underscoring the vital role of STEM education, skill-building, and mentorship. It was truly delightful to watch the young students display curiosity and excitement, as they captured their aspirations and ideas in heartfelt essays.
Similiar successful outreach programs were also held in Noida, Hyderabad, Gurugram, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Agra, Pali and Thiruvananthapuram, wherein new stories of engaging, encouraging and empowering the young minds were created. The 10th anniversary celebrations of GIAD will culminate with the iconic ‘Giving Wings to Dreams Awards’, a national platform to recognize women who have made significant contributions in the field of aviation and have also helped empower other women.
Speaking on the milestone, Radha Bhatia, President, Women in Aviation India said, “In the last decade, we have moved ahead, one determined step at a time and have grown from strength to strength every year. Our work is a testimony of great teamwork by our invaluable members, their unwavering passion and commitment to see women flying high and achieving milestones that once seemed impossible! I am eternally grateful for the constant support of Shri Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu (Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India), the Secretary, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, GoI and all its affiliated stakeholders. I am also grateful to the schools and colleges who welcomed us warmly to inspire and engage with their students. I am also very grateful to each and every member of Women in Aviation India, who stood by us and worked shoulder to shoulder. Today GIAD celebrations are not just events, they are a movement. We are proud that thousands of young girls across India have now met role models, flown drone
With the invaluable support of likeminded partners like Millenium Aero Dynamics, Make My Trip, Bangalore International Airport, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Blue Dart Aviation, Top Crew Aviation and TravTalk and the constant support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, the banner of Girls in Aviation Day will fly across the length and breadth of the country in the coming weeks! We wholeheartedly invite aviation experts, institutions, corporate entities, students, teachers and academic institutions to come together to be a part of this mission.
