TORONTO — In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Sunwing launched its 100th flight crewed entirely by women yesterday morning.

Sunwing Airlines flight WG438 departed from Toronto on March 2 to Punta Cana International Airport with an all-female flight and cabin crew in charge. The flight was piloted by Captain Vicky Marks from Sunwing’s Quebec City base, assisted by First Officer Nicola Godfrey from the company’s Toronto base. The cabin crew comprised of Cabin Safety Manager Tiziana Di Giuliantonio and three female flight attendants, Zoi Loukas, Anita Tasha Thompson, and Camille Osbourne. The customer journey for the flight was handled by women every step of the way.

Captain Vicky Marks, who piloted the flight, said: “It’s such an honour to be part of the 100th all-female-operated flight by Sunwing. It wasn’t long ago that women were limited to very few roles in the aviation industry; however, today, women are involved in every part of the industry. I’m proud to be a female pilot, and I hope this monumental flight and the increased opportunities for women in this field, inspires more women to pursue careers in the aviation industry.”

From sales and reservations agents, to flights ops dispatch, maintenance, ramp agents and in-destination support services, Sunwing employs thousands of female employees who play an integral part of a customer’s vacation journey.

Vice President of Flight Operations for Sunwing Airlines, Piyush Gandhi, who also serves as Chair of Sunwing’s diversity and inclusion committee, Y.A.Y! (You Are You!), added: “The aviation industry has been a traditionally male-dominated field, so it’s great to be a part of a company that celebrates women and makes all-female flight crews a regular occurrence as opposed to a rare one. The women at Sunwing are breaking down barriers and taking on the world of aviation in a variety of roles.”

Gandhi also noted that in the last five years the number of female pilots at Sunwing increased by 160%. “While that number is a great accomplishment, we’re hoping this trend only continues to grow in the future across all areas,” she said.

March 2 also marked the start of Women of Aviation week, which aims to address the gender imbalance in the aviation industry. Sunwing’s 100th all-female-operated flight also marked its commitment to this cause and celebrated their female aviation professionals.

For more information or to book, visit www.sunwing.ca