A group of east London students have won London City Airport’s fifth Women in Aviation programme after taking part in a sustainability challenge.

The award, which was presented at the finale event held on Wednesday, 21st May at the Sunborn London Yacht Hotel in Royal Victoria Dock, is part of the airport’s ‘Women in Aviation Programme’ – a three-month educational initiative with participation from up to 300 young women across 10 schools in east London.

A panel of industry judges awarded the winning group vouchers and an exclusive airside tour of the airport.

The students from Bow School, Tower Hamlets, suggested innovative solutions for creating a sustainable passenger journey from home to destination. Their proposals included leveraging technology and AI for waste management and incorporating renewable energy into transportation and infrastructure. The Palmer Catholic Academy in Redbridge was also recognized as runners-up for their impressive ideas.

Prominent industry figures offered career guidance at the event, including Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport; Lizzie Beale, Senior Policy Advisor for Aviation Decarbonisation at the Department for Transport (DfT); Marie-Louise Phillipe, VP Sales and Marketing for Europe and Central Asia at Embraer; and Claire O’Toole, Analytics and Insights Manager at British Airways CityFlyer.

Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport

Several local councillors attended, including Newham’s Vice Chair for Local Development Committee and Barking & Dagenham’s Cabinet Member for Community Leadership & Engagement.

Alison FitzGerald praised the enthusiastic participation in this year’s programme, stating, “It was inspiring to see the creativity and enthusiasm of these young women as they tackled some of our sector’s most pressing sustainability challenges.”

The initiative aims to highlight the relevance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects in addressing challenges in the aviation industry and to motivate more local young women to pursue careers in the sector. The ‘Women in Aviation’ programme is also part of a broader effort to improve gender balance within the airport’s workforce and showcase attractive career opportunities for young women, including those from diverse backgrounds.

London City Airport stands as one of Newham’s largest single-site employers, with a significant proportion of its workforce residing within five miles of its central location in London’s Royal Docks.