To celebrate International Women’s Day at Chapman Freeborn we are shining a spotlight on women in aviation and the huge variety of roles available in the industry. Our Celebrating Women in Aviation series holds space for the experiences of our wonderful colleagues, giving you an insight into their roles, how they got to where they are today and their advice for other women and girls considering a career in the aviation industry.
Sarah Dumarey’s aviation career spans 5 and a half years, and began when she joined Chapman Freeborn as a Passenger Charter Broker. However, her aviation-related memories began much earlier when she was just 6 years old. Her dad works for the Belgian Air Force, and as a child she was invited to the annual St Nicholas show where he worked. “St Nicholas always arrived at the event location in a Sea King helicopter, which as a 6 year old was: WOW!”
She also used to attend the yearly Koksijde International Airshow, where she was amazed by the demonstrations such as the Red Arrows, Patrouille de France and Belgian F16. As her dad was a member of the Sea King maintenance team Sarah was also lucky enough to join a yearly flight in the helicopter, flying along the coastline of De Panne.
Despite her history, Sarah didn’t always know she wanted to work in aviation. However, it was her search for a job that would challenge her, have contact with clients and enable her to use her language and sales skills that led her to her role at Chapman Freeborn.
“In my role I work on all types of passenger flights, including helicopters, private jets, narrow bodies and wide bodies. I work on the enquiry from the moment it comes in – quoting, booking, contracts and follow up. I also keep on top of the aviation industry by reading articles to get an understand of news and any incidents”.
Sarah’s favourite part of her job is when a booking comes in; “Getting a booking means I’ve found the best solution for my client, they trust us to work with them and I can then work with an airline which in turn improves my relationship with them and brings in a lot of hard but enjoyable work. I also look forward to the occasions when I get the chance to rep a flight again, as I get to travel abroad”.
The message that Sarah would like to send to girls and women alike who are considering a career in aviation is, “It’s not a 9 to 5 job, but don’t let this hold you back. It’s a challenging but fun job! You are in contact with many different people, languages, cultures, personalities. You face problems sometimes, but there’s always a solution and the knowledge and wisdom you learn will have a positive impact on your whole life!”