“To Be A Good Leader, You Need To Be Surrounded By A Good Team” – Advice From A Chief Pilot

Linda Gunnarsdóttir is the chief pilot at Icelandair and leads a team of approximately 620 pilots. Female pilots make up 14% of the carrier’s flight crew, which is one of the highest percentages among major airlines. In recent years, her daughter, Birna Katrin Gunnlaugsdóttir, joined the team and is piloting a Dash 8. It had been a dream of hers for a long time and was inspired by her mother. Linda’s father, Gunnar Þorvaldsson, was a pilot too, and she dreamed of following in his footsteps, but did not feel like it was an option.