Air France operated a special flight to transport France’s official delegation to the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, marking International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026. The flight, crewed predominantly by women including both pilots, carried a delegation led by Minister Delegate Aurore Bergé from the Ministry for Gender Equality, along with representatives from French civil society such as Cynthia Illouz, founder of The Women Voices media platform established in 2019.
The CSW, convened from March 9 to 19, 2026, addresses access to justice for women and girls, their participation in public decision-making, and the elimination of violence against them. Air France’s initiative aligns with its support for programs like StOpE, tackling workplace sexism, and the One In Three Women network combating domestic violence.
Internally, Air France prioritizes gender equality through four pillars: boosting women in technical and operational roles, advancing female leadership, fighting sexism and harassment, and offering parenting support. Partnerships with Elles Bougent and Cordée de la réussite encourage young women into science, technology, and aviation careers. Progress includes 17.5% women in aircraft maintenance roles and 34.6% in managerial positions as of 2025. This flight underscores Air France’s operational commitment to these objectives amid industry-wide efforts to increase female representation, where women hold only 3-5% of maintenance and engineering positions globally.