Air France marks IWD with special flight to the UN women’s summit in NYC

Air France marked International Women’s Day (March 8) 2026 by operating a special flight to carry France’s official delegation to the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.

The delegation, led by the Ministry for Gender Equality, included Minister Delegate Aurore Bergé and representatives from across French civil society, among them Cynthia Illouz, founder of The Women Voices, a media platform dedicated to amplifying women’s perspectives and promoting female leadership since its founding in 2019. The flight was crewed predominantly by women, including both pilots.

The CSW, held from March 9 to 19, 2026, is one of the most significant annual gatherings on gender equality worldwide. This year’s session centers on access to justice for women and girls, their meaningful participation in public decision-making, and the elimination of all forms of violence against them.

Air France’s involvement goes beyond the symbolic. The airline actively supports initiatives such as StOpE, which addresses everyday sexism in the workplace, and the One In Three Women network, which works to combat domestic violence. Both align directly with the themes on the CSW agenda.

Internally, Air France has structured its gender equality efforts around four priorities: increasing women’s representation in technical and operational roles, promoting women into leadership positions, combating sexism and sexual harassment, and providing parenting support. Partnerships with organizations like the Elles Bougent association and the Cordée de la réussite program also aim to draw young women toward careers in science, technology, and aviation.

According to the airline, results are beginning to show. Women now make up 17.5% of aircraft maintenance roles at Air France, and the share of women in managerial positions reached 34.6% in 2025 — a figure that Air France says it intends to keep pushing upward.

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