Dominican AI aviation initiative SARA wins Most Disruptive Award at Women in Tech LATAM 2026
Colombia.- A Dominican initiative that applies artificial intelligence to aviation has earned international recognition after SARA (System for Aviation With Real-time AI) won the Most Disruptive Award at the Women in Tech LATAM Awards 2026.
Created by air traffic controller Olga Isabel Pérez Encarnación and developed in collaboration with Nolim Studios, SARA received the award during a ceremony held August 27 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Pérez Encarnación was one of five Latin American finalists in the category.
The recognition qualifies SARA to represent Latin America at the Women in Tech Global Awards 2026, with the global ceremony scheduled to take place later this year in Paris, France.
SARA is an artificial intelligence assistant designed specifically for aviation. The tool provides access to aeronautical information and supports air traffic controllers, pilots, flight dispatchers and other aviation professionals in decision-making.
Its developers say the system is designed to deliver information quickly and reliably while allowing users to trace the information provided. It is also intended to reduce the cognitive burden associated with searching for and processing large amounts of aeronautical data.
The name SARA pays tribute to Sara Castaños, recognized as the Dominican Republic’s first female air traffic controller.
The project is currently being evaluated by aviation professionals and students in six countries and serves as the foundation for an international scientific research proposal focused on the use of artificial intelligence in aviation.
Following its latest recognition, the team is developing a new version of SARA that is expected to initially launch in the Dominican Republic and the United States. The initiative also includes plans for AI training workshops for aviation professionals, emphasizing technological knowledge, critical thinking and responsible use.
Previous international recognition
SARA previously gained international attention in 2025 after winning the first phase of the ENAIRE Open Innovation International Business Ideas Competition, organized by Spain’s national air navigation manager. The Dominican project emerged victorious after competing against more than 70 proposals from around the world.
The Women in Tech LATAM Awards are part of Women in Tech Global, an international organization founded by Ayumi Moore Aoki that promotes women’s and girls’ participation and leadership in technology and STEAM fields.
During the Cartagena event, Pérez Encarnación also participated in a social-impact activity at the Cecilia Porras School, where she introduced students to educational materials related to aviation and technology. Among them were a prototype air traffic control board game, a coloring book about aerodrome movement areas and flight instruments, and a flight-simulation joystick developed by Andrés Carpio Andújar, a finalist in the second edition of Quiero Ser Piloto.
The materials were used during the activities and later donated to the school. The program also included robotics and virtual reality experiences and screenings of episodes of the television series Quiero Ser Piloto.
These educational initiatives form part of Pérez Encarnación’s plans to develop products under the Master The Skies and Quiero Ser Piloto brands, with support from Editora El Nuevo Diario and other partners.
Aviation, technology and education
Pérez Encarnación has more than a decade of operational experience as an air traffic controller at the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC). She holds degrees in Air Traffic Control Technology from the Higher Academy of Aeronautical Sciences (ASCA) and Social Communication from Universidad O&M.
Her work combines aviation, technology, education and communication. She is also a journalist specializing in science, technology, innovation and aviation.
She created and produces Quiero Ser Piloto, a televised aviation competition that provides training opportunities and scholarships to young people interested in careers in the sector. The program is produced audiovisually by Editora El Nuevo Diario, with executive production, and co-produced by Irving Novas.
The initiative was named runner-up at the Air Traffic Management Awards 2024, presented during Airspace World 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
