For years, aviation’s biggest challenge has been recovering from economic hits to the industry as a result of, among other factors, the pandemic. In that time, airlines focused on restoring routes and bringing passengers back into the skies after one of the most disruptive periods in the industry’s history.
Now that demand has returned, with African airlines having recorded a 7.8% growth in passenger traffic during 2025, airlines now face the reality of evolving alongside changing traveller expectations.
Few people have a clearer view of that evolution than Shanna Docherty, Regional Head of Trade Sales for Africa and the Middle East and Country Lead for South Africa at Cathay Pacific. Working across diverse markets, airlines, tourism authorities, airports and trade partners, she has spent her career strengthening the connections that bring people, businesses and destinations closer together.
“The future of aviation relies on a deep understanding of why people travel, and the job has moved from attracting customers to creating meaningful experiences and building the partnerships that make those journeys possible,” says Docherty. “From a leadership perspective, this means bringing people together around a shared purpose and keeping the customer at the centre of every decision.”
Leading beyond the flight path
Docherty joined Cathay Pacific in 2019 before taking on her current role leading trade sales across Africa and the Middle East, while serving as Country Lead for South Africa. During that time. Having spent more than 15 years in aviation, including roles spanning cargo, commercial strategy and trade partnerships, she has played a key role in strengthening Cathay’s commercial presence across the region and supporting the continued connectivity between South Africa, Hong Kong and the wider Asian market.
Working across multiple countries has also reinforced one of the defining lessons of her career, that aviation has always been a people business. “A leader is only as successful as the team behind them,” she says. “Every achievement is the result of people working towards a common goal. My role is to create an environment where individuals feel supported, empowered and inspired to do their very best.”
She extends this belief beyond her role as a team lead into her responsibilities to create collaborative relationships with airlines, airports, tourism authorities, government stakeholders and industry partners, recognising that meaningful progress happens through working together instead of competing.
And, as customer expectations continue to evolve, Docherty says airlines will increasingly differentiate themselves through the quality of the experiences they create. “Experience is key when it comes to meeting our passengers’ expectations, which for me and my team comes down to studying and understanding factors like changing travel patterns, embracing technology where it adds value and ensuring every part of the journey feels connected from start to finish,” she says.
Docherty leads a diverse team that includes two women in her direct sales team and 11 women across Cathay Pacific South Africa, five of whom occupy leadership positions. Developing future leaders has become one of the most rewarding aspects of her role, she says, particularly as more women build careers across every area of aviation.
“While women now occupy just over 31% of senior leadership positions across IATA member airlines, progress depends not only on opening doors, but on creating workplaces where people have the confidence and support to grow once they walk through them,” adds Docherty.
Away from the office, Docherty is also the mother of 20-month-old twins, a role that she views as a significant contributor to her success as a leader through the understanding that there is “no single blueprint for leadership or success”.
“Parenting while in a demanding and central leadership role will teach you a thing or two about making what feels like the impossible, possible,” she says. “It’s hard, as most working parents can attest, but the willingness to see through the challenges and feeling like you have little time in the day, as well as having the right support in your corner, makes what seems impossible today, possible tomorrow.”
As she looks to the future, Docherty hopes her greatest contribution to aviation will not only be measured by commercial results, but by the people she has helped develop along the way.
“My advice to young women in aviation, to my own team and really anyone across any industry who is trying to make their mark, is to dream big, stay humble, keep learning and never let anyone tell you that you cannot achieve something. The greatest limits we face are often the ones we place on ourselves,” she concludes.
