British Airways Captain Suzanne Morgan, 57, was a trailblazer in her choice of career. One of the first women to fly with British Midland, before joining BA six years later, Suzanne has consistently championed progress in a profession traditionally dominated by men.
From advocating for maternity policies early in her career to shaping pilot recruitment today, Suzanne has played a central role in helping to create a more inclusive working environment.
Most recently, she became aware of the significant gap in workplace support for women experiencing menopause. With little information available and no formal resources in place, Suzanne and her colleagues felt uncertain how symptoms might affect their health, performance at work and career prospects.
By raising awareness, building peer networks and working with the business and regulators, Suzanne helped shape a comprehensive menopause support framework that improves wellbeing, retention and recruitment.
British Airways’ commitment to menopause friendly workplace standards
Her overarching aim was to create a menopause friendly framework that would benefit future generations of female colleagues at British Airways by:
- Providing a safe, trusted space for women to share experiences and information.
- Securing practical measures to help colleagues manage symptoms while continuing to perform in safety-critical roles.
- Working with the company and regulators to ensure policies reflected modern understanding and best practice.
Implementing menopause support across aviation roles
Through a proactive and collaborative approach engaging colleagues, senior leaders and external stakeholders, Suzanne was supported to:
- Build a community. She established a peer-to-peer WhatsApp group which now connects a significant proportion of BA’s female pilots, providing mutual support and advice.
- Raise Awareness. Suzanne presenting her concerns to British Airways’ Head of Wellbeing, highlighted the need for dedicated menopause support and resources.
- Lobby the Civil Aviation Authority. Calling on them to update outdated policies that disadvantaged women starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by grounding them for two weeks after taking the medication.
- Drive cultural change. With British Airways introducing a comprehensive support framework, including:– Peppy app: offering access to specialist menopause nurses, wellbeing resources and events.
– Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): providing confidential counselling and wellbeing support.
– Menopause Cafés: informal forums to normalise discussion and reduce stigma.
– Specialist medical access: private GP appointments and nurse practitioners with menopause expertise.
– Uniform updates: introducing blouses designed for women pilots, who up until very recently wore shirts and ties designed for men.
Transforming employee wellbeing and retention through menopause support
Following Suzanne’s lead, British Airways’ commitment to listen and act has delivered meaningful results:
- Cultural Change. Menopause is now openly recognised as a natural stage of life, with awareness raised across the business.
- Employee Support. Colleagues benefit from access to specialist advice, confidential services and supportive peer networks.
- Talent Retention and Attraction. These measures contribute to a more inclusive environment, helping retain experienced employees and attract diverse new talent. The number of cabin crew recruits aged 50+ has risen year on year since 2023.
British Airways is now seen as aligning with best practice by creating safe spaces, offering accessible tools and making practical adjustments. They have achieved the Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
