• Soaring High: Celebrating the Rise of Women Leaders in Indian Aviation

  • Breaking Barriers, Taking Flight: Women Redefine India’s Aviation Story

New Delhi. 27 January 2026. Women achievers in Indian aviation have emerged as powerful symbols of transformation, resilience, and excellence, redefining a sector once perceived as a male-dominated domain. From commanding aircraft in the cockpit and leading air traffic control towers to steering airline strategy, engineering innovation, airport operations, and regulatory frameworks, women have steadily expanded their footprint across every vertical of the aviation ecosystem. This is the news of the day as countdown to Wings India 2026 begins.

Lynn Frederick D’Souza has joined the G100 Security and Defence Wing as Country Advisory Member (India), marking a significant addition to the global platform’s leadership in security, defence, and strategic governance.

G100 is a global network of 100 influential women leaders, including Nobel Laureates, former Heads of State, Ministers, business leaders, philanthropists, and changemakers, working collectively to advance equity, empowerment, and opportunity for women worldwide.

D’Souza brings extensive experience in international security, defence policy, foresight, and multilateral engagement. She has organised and led Disarmament Foresight Webinars aimed at advancing women’s leadership in peace and security, with submissions made to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). She has also served as a distinguished panelist at the India–EU Defence Best Practices Roundtable organised by Euroscope (Global Eye Intelligence), contributing to discussions on defence governance and bilateral and multilateral security cooperation.

Her published policy research includes Strategic Analysis on the Evaluation of Military Expenditure and the SDGs (UNODA), Evolving EU–India Bilateral Defence Cooperation and Security Partnerships (ESPIRIDI & G100), and A Metamorphic Threat: Synthesising Transformations in the Global Terrorism Landscape (ESPIRIDI & G100). She has participated in SIPRI multilateral policy dialogues on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, contributing perspectives on the regulation of autonomous systems under evolving international humanitarian law frameworks.

Within the G100 Security and Defence Wing, D’Souza has contributed to dialogues addressing women’s security in conflict zones, including early and forced marriages, the plight of Yazidi women in Kurdistan, the situation of women in Afghanistan, and the prevalence and impact of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Her work also includes research and multilateral engagement on armament and disarmament through G100 and the WICCI National Aviation Council.

In 2025, she led and submitted several initiatives to UNODA, including Security in the Era of Trump – Policy Recommendations, a three-year policy roadmap titled Strategic Analysis on the Evaluation of Military Expenditure on the SDGs, and the report Women in Aviation Week 2025 – A Global Strategic Initiative on Aviation, Security, and Governance, jointly submitted by WICCI NAC and ESPIRIDI.

D’Souza is currently leading foresight-driven projects on counter-terrorism and security futures, with a focus on irregular warfare and emerging threats, through ESPIRIDI and G100. She has also completed the Talking Foreign Affairs masterclass on international diplomacy and negotiation at Harvard University, conducted with H. E. Srđan Kerim, former President of the 62nd UN General Assembly.

She is a Global Strategy and Governance Expert, National President of the Aviation Council – WICCI, Founder and Director of ESPIRIDI, and now Country Advisory Member (India) – G100 Security and Defence Wing.

Indian wimwn’s growing presence  in aviation reflects not only changing societal attitudes and progressive policy support, but also the industry’s recognition of talent, merit, and leadership beyond gender. Today, Indian aviation proudly showcases women as pilots, engineers, entrepreneurs, technologists, safety experts, and senior executives, whose achievements are shaping the future of air transport and inspiring the next generation to aim higher, fly further, and lead with confidence.