Girls advised to pursue careers in aviation

Key figures in Uganda’s Aviation industry have urged more girls to consider pursuing careers in the aviation industry.

The Deputy Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Ms Olive Birungi Lumonya, made the call during the Girls in aviation day event organized by Air Serv on September 11, 2024  at the UCAA head offices in Entebbe under the theme “ I am the future of Aviation.”

“Celebrating girls in aviation is one of those strategies that has been taken on globally as one way in which the aviation sector can see or record an increase of women in technical roles, including pilots, air traffic controllers, fire-fighting, among others. As of now, the number of women in aviation is still low and this is an area where we need more leaders, especially the girls. I implore more girls to join the aviation industry,’’ she said.

Ms Lumonya said very few girls have considered careers in aviation because of the stereotype that aviation is a complicated field.

“My appeal to the girls is that they should work hard and get good grades in science subjects so as to be able to join the aviation industry, which is very prestigious,’’ she said.

She noted that at UCAA, the proportion of women to men has increased to 32 percent. “The percentage was lower some years ago, and if you look at the trend over the last five years, we have seen growth on an annual basis of about 5 percent, which is putting us in a better position at 32 percent.’’

She added that girls in aviation is one way of attracting them (girls) at an early stage and guiding them to select the right subjects.

Ms Robinah Nalumu, the Director for Marketing and Client Care at Air Serv and also the Country Representative for Air Serv International said, “We are inspiring future aviators and we invited different girls from different schools country wide to join us to get some inspiration and information on how they can become future aviators. This is the first event that Air Serv is hosting. We believe that we shall be doing annual events and the next event will be held in February 2025.’’

She added that the inaugural event has been successful. “We have had a big turn up of different schools, about 30 schools and more than 100 girls turned up to listen to different panelists from different companies, including UCAA, Uganda Airlines and Air Serv, among others.’’

She further noted that the number of women in aviation is still low but they believe that all the girls that participated in the event could become future aviators. “It’s possible and doable. Our job is to inspire them and to share our stories that we have walked this journey and they can walk this journey too as long as they are focused and have a vision.”

Ms Eva Luyiga, an Air traffic Controller at UCAA said, “Our role is to prevent collision between aircraft as they fly while on ground, as they climb  and as they descend to land , many people think that this job is for men, but ladies, too can do this job as well and I have been doing it for almost nine years now and still going strong.’’

Ivy Nabbosa Luggya, a student at Mount St Mary’s College Namagunga said, “we got more insight on the possible careers in aviation, very interesting questions were asked and I would recommend this to continue. I suggest that as girls are being empowered, boys should also be considered because what I have learnt today, cannot easily just be picked up by the boys from the internet.’’