This is one lady who had the courage and determination to move to air cargo, and she has not regretted it.
     Meet Abhilasha Koul.
     As part of Cathay Pacific Cargo based in New Delhi, she slipped into the cargo domain more than a dozen years ago.
     That was the beginning of her ‘love affair.’
     “I started my career on the passenger side in the aviation business,” she remembered. When she was offered the opportunity to shift to cargo, “I happily accepted.” She knew she was treading into an alien territory.
     “Despite the fact that the cargo sector is a fast growing one and has immense opportunities for growth, there were not many women in this industry," she said.
     Ms. Koul confirmed that the demand for skilled professionals exceeds the supply in the cargo sector; hence “it is important we attract and include women.”
     She was quick to point out “women ace at multitasking and I am thrilled to be part of this industry.
     “I believe it is not hard to grow and place yourself comfortably if you work towards your goal,” Abhilasha said.
     Associated with the cargo sector for 13 years, the work Ms. Koul does in marketing has been “a fulfilling one for me as not only have I grown professionally but intellectually as well.”
     As for her male colleagues, she has a lot of kind words.
     “The mentoring by my seniors and support from my colleagues has helped me sustain for such a long time.
     “The overall atmosphere is one of encouragement and learning and that’s the key to surviving in these challenging times,” she said.
      What excites her most are freighters.
      “I like handling freighters as it is dynamic in nature.
      “The most exciting part is to fill the allotted capacity and ensure the cost is optimized as well.
      “It also allows me to interact with many industry players in the market and that helps to understand and design future strategies,” she said.
      Abhilasha Kaul is a great optimist.
      She is certain other women will join her in her field of work.
      “With women empowerment being the focus of this government, I guess there are equal opportunities for all qualified/skilled people. The fact that today’s industry is now accepting women in cargo operations, customer service, and sales,” she said with certainty, “it is just a matter of time that the percentage of women in the cargo industry will increase.”

Tirthankar Ghosh