Inclusion & Diversity
Embracing diversity. Pioneering change. At British Airways, inclusion really does start with I.
Our vision is one where we are all accountable, where each and every one of us can make a difference.
Our commitment to building a truly inclusive and diverse place to work is not just championed by our leaders. It’s also fuelled by our colleagues. Our colleague network groups are the engine of our strategy, helping us create a workforce that’s truly reflective of the world we live in.
Together, we've made progress. There's still some way to go though, and we’re continuing to put intentional action and resources into our strategy to fulfil our ambitions.
Our journey so far
Gender
We’ve committed to our target of equal gender representation in senior leadership roles by 2030, or sooner. We’re also launching a targeted school outreach programme to improve gender and ethnic representation along with social mobility opportunities across STEM roles, (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) where we’ve recognised that change is needed.
Ethnicity
Our ambition is to increase ethnic minority representation of our senior leaders so that our leadership demographic is reflective of the UK population by 2030. In 2023 we ran a company-wide Reverse Mentoring programme, pairing colleagues from minority ethnic backgrounds with our senior managers to increase awareness of their lived experience and barriers faced.
Social mobility
We believe British Airways should be a place where talent, not background, determines your career trajectory. Our Emerging Talent programmes provide opportunities to people from all socio-economic groups, while our outreach programmes are aimed at schools with a high percentage of free school meals. We’re also removing the cost barrier to pilot training through the fully-funded Speedbird Pilot Academy.
Accessibility
We recognise that people with disabilities may experience challenges accessing work, remaining in work, and progressing in the workplace. We’re working closely with our Being Accessible colleague network group to help inform our strategy and drive change. Our priorities include increasing awareness through training and events, working on accessible buildings, and keeping our reasonable adjustments process under constant review.
LGBTQ+
We have a proud history of building an inclusive workplace where colleagues feel able to express their identity and be themselves. We've recently updated our policies and guides to reflect more gender-neutral language, and created guidelines for managers and colleagues to support those at work who transition, or have transitioned. We've also proudly supported our LGBTQ+ network, Flying Proud, who continue to raise awareness, create belonging, and engage allies.
What we're focusing on next
Inclusion action plans
We're working at a department level to identify challenges, learn how to overcome them, and introduce tailored action plans designed to drive inclusive cultural change.
Communication and awareness
Our colleague networks help increase awareness and improve understanding of a variety of Inclusion & Diversity topics through regular communications and activities.
Improving accessibility
We will work with our teams across the company to review and improve accessibility across the colleague experience. We’re also increasing accessibility awareness through training programmes.
Making your voice heard
When it comes to building a truly diverse workforce, it’s not just about inviting people to the table. It’s about making sure our people are empowered, supported, and feel confident enough to speak up and be heard. Our employee network groups and societies act as partners in our Inclusion & Diversity strategy. They play a key role in making sure our people are valued and respected, and that representation is followed up with action.
BeME
BeME (Being of Minority Ethnicity) is our network group of ethnic minority colleagues, dedicated to creating a community which is inclusive of ethnic minorities and empowers them to thrive. The network pioneered British Airways’ first ever all-black flight, staffed entirely by black employees including ground agents, Cabin Crew, engineers and pilots, to highlight the importance of representation and role models.
Flying Proud
Flying Proud is our network for LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies. The network campaigns for inclusion, and advocates change on behalf of everyone at British Airways. You may have heard about the fantastic Pride month celebrations organised by the network, including our first ever float at London Pride, where colleagues from across the airline proudly came onboard wearing British Airways uniforms.
Being Accessible
Our Being Accessible network supports a variety of accessibility needs for all British Airways colleagues and customers. We have members with a range of physical, sensory, and neurodiverse conditions, as well as allies who may have a family member with a disability. By fostering an inclusive environment, we strive to address and accommodate the diverse needs of our community.
Women's Inclusion Network Group
Our Women's Inclusion Network Group for Success (WINGS) helps promote gender equality and representation at British Airways. It aims to provide support and opportunities for our female community to develop their careers and inspire women to pursue their development to leadership roles while also engaging male allies to support in driving gender equity.
Faith groups
Alongside our employee network groups, British Airways also has colleague-run faith groups who are always ready to welcome new members.
As a Muslim society with an Islamic faith identity, MusBA strives to create a positive, equal place at work for all colleagues by advocating inclusive, shared values. MusBA provides knowledge and awareness to support our colleagues and highlight Muslim colleague contributions across all areas of British Airways.
The British Airways Christian Fellowship is a society of colleagues who follow, or are curious to know more about, the Christian faith. The Fellowship is online every Wednesday between 12.30 and 13.30, usually in the company of one of the Chaplaincy from Heathrow.
Our partnerships
Stonewall
Our involvement with Stonewall helps us to continue looking for new and innovative ways to celebrate diversity and support individuals in our LGBTQ+ community to be themselves at work and achieve their full potential in an inclusive and supportive workplace.
Business Disability Forum
Our ambition is to be one of the most inclusive places to work for those with disabilities. Our membership of the Business Disability Forum helps us to increase our opportunities for people with disabilities whether they be physical, mental, or 'hidden'.
Prince's Trust
Our partnership with the Prince’s Trust is giving people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to do work experience at British Airways. Some of the young talent who have joined the scheme have even gone on to start apprenticeships with us.
Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion
ENEI is a not-for-profit organisation that supports organisations throughout their inclusion journey. All British Airways employees can access webinars on diversity topics, toolkits, articles and many more.
Radius Certified
We partner with Radius to invest and upskill our colleague network leads in their roles as Chair or Co Chairs. We are committed to involving our colleagues in our strategy and informing how it evolves to drive meaningful change.
Disability Confident
Disability Confident is a government initiative designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with health conditions. It is also designed to challenge attitudes, increase understanding and ensure we reach the widest pool of talent.
Got a question about what it's like to work at British Airways?
You can now ask our colleagues a question about their personal experience working at British Airways. Find out a bit more about the career journey you’re interested in or to get some insight into what it is really like to work here.
If you have a question about our hiring process or your current application, please refer to our FAQs.
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