Today, the 2026 edition of the Women in Aviation, Travel & Tourism (WIATT) meeting was held at Terminal A of Ezeiza International Airport. The initiative, driven by Aeropuertos Argentina, promotes the professional development of women in the airport, tourism, and transportation industries. Over 150 leaders from aviation, travel, and tourism participated in the event, which was designed to reflect on the present and future of the sector, share experiences, and highlight the stories of women contributing to its transformation from various roles.
The agenda began with the panel "Global Forces and Trends: Keys to Reading a Complex World," featuring Miriam de Paoli, Pedro Orbaiz, Federico Merke, and Melina Masnatta, professors from the University of San Andrés and recognized specialists in international politics, new technologies, demographics, technological disruption, energy transition, and AI. They shared the main global forces and trends shaping the current world. Building on these ideas, leaders from different sectors, including National Deputy Karina Banfi, Aeropuertos Argentina CEO Daniel Ketchibachian, LATAM Airlines Commercial Director for Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay Florencia Scardaccione, and Global Processing CEO Patricia Furlong, conversed and exchanged views on how these transformations impact the travel and tourism ecosystem.
Daniel Ketchibachian, CEO of the company, stated, "There is no smarter way to grow the industry than by calling on the industry itself, working together as a team, and building from an integral environment, thinking about the airport industry, tourism, the growth of regional economies, and the country." "This team spirit is what drives us to create these scholarships, to go out and find the women who will be the next leaders of our industry, to invite them, support them in their training, and to plant the seeds for the work teams of today," he asserted.
"We began to see the strong impact of the decision we made in 2019, when we said, 'We are going to create more opportunities for women in the industry to grow, take on leadership roles, and also create opportunities to attract more women to the industry,'" said Verónica Rodríguez Bargiella, Director of Human Resources and Strategy at Aeropuertos Argentina. She added, "We decided to do this by providing educational opportunities, because we believe it is the tool that truly transforms and equalizes opportunities."
The event also included a networking lunch led by chef Narda Lepes and a participatory activity during which the future of the sector was designed collectively with key industry players, concluding with the presentation of over 40 training scholarships for women in the airport industry, aimed at supporting their education and enhancing their professional paths.
