What Mervat Sultan Teaches Us About Building Equity and Opportunity for Women in Middle-East Aviation

In this episode, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Mervat Sultan—founder of Ramjet Aviation Services and President of the Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter—about how intentional leadership, structured mentorship, and policy support have transformed a handful of members into a 1,000-strong network and the largest women-in-aviation conference in the Arab world.  Over 25 years, Sultan learned aviation “from scratch,” built executive charter operations, and opened doors for countless pilots, engineers, and managers. They discuss reframing quotas as performance standards, embedding inclusion into systems, preparing students for AI and quantum-driven flight, and why “the sky is wide enough for all of us.” Chapter Breakdown 00:00 | Opening call: “Skies are wide enough for all of us.” 01:32 | Host introduction & Sultan’s impact on Middle-East aviation 03:53 | Why Middle-East progress matters to global inclusion efforts 06:03 | Sultan’s passion: real stories of women transforming careers 07:30 | Founding Ramjet and learning aviation from the ground up 10:41 | Government backing & corporate accountability in the region 12:38 | Quotas vs. performance: reframing the gender-equity debate 17:31 | Effective strategies: executive intent, clear pathways, male allies 18:51 | Embedding inclusion: systems, metrics, respect in practice 20:24 | Advice to women: seek mentors, stay curious, trust your worth 23:34 | Cross-border lessons: sharing stories beyond geopolitical lines 26:22 | Future skills: integrating AI & quantum tech into aviation education 30:21 | Guidance for new entrants: matching personality to aviation roles 33:29 | Zero-error culture: fundamentals, time-management, real-world anecdotes 36:34 | Closing reflections: gratitude, next steps, and a shared vision Follow Mervat Sultan LinkedIn: Mervat Sultan Follow Shaesta Waiz Website: shaestawaiz.com LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz Instagram: @shaesta.waiz TikTok: @shaestawaiz Shaesta Waiz on YouTube YouTube (Aviate Platform) Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif Studio & Production & The Tallawah Group www.massifsp.com LinkedIn: Massif Studio & Production Website: www.TallawahWorldwide.com LinkedIn: The Tallawah Group For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [e-mail]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices