Local students hear from women in aviation as Manchester Airport marks International Women’s Day

More than 20 students from local secondary schools met with female staff in roles at Manchester Airport as part of celebrations for International Women’s Day (9th March 2025).

Pupils from Manchester Enterprise Academy and Dixons Brooklands Academy spend the day at the airport on Friday 8th March to learn about the range of careers available. Students started their day at AeroZone, the airport’s dedicated education centre, with an introductory talk. They then took a tour of Terminal 2, the centrepiece of a £1.3 billion transformation programme, and met women working on the project, as well as colleagues in Engineering, Customer Services and Airfield Operations, such as Abi Rickers, an Engineering Apprentice, who talked the group through her role on the airfield, maintaining the lighting and safety systems that keep aircraft moving.

A networking lunch was also held for the pupils at San Carlo in Terminal 2, where they met colleagues from across the business including the airport’s Women’s Network, and women working in areas such as Landside Operations, Social Media and IT.

Marcella M’Rabety, Group Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, said:

“We were delighted to welcome pupils from Manchester Enterprise Academy and Dixons Brooklands Academy to Manchester Airport on International Women’s Day, to learn more about the wide variety of careers available to them here. We are proud to serve our neighbouring communities – not just by helping people to reach the destinations they want to get to, but also by playing our role as a major employer and economic facilitator in the region. That means empowering young women to go after the exciting careers they want.”

Kaileigh Spires, Teacher at Manchester Enterprise Academy, added:

“This was an inspiring event where it showed students the wide variety of roles available in travel. It allowed us to explore the different career paths and creates a sense of community with women working together to empower more females to join the industry. This proved that women can be successful in male dominant industries.”