Only 5% of the world’s commercial pilots are women
Airlines have been stepping up their efforts to recruit more female pilots to meet the increasing demand for travel.
Spending on travel and tourism has spiked in recent years, with customers keen to spend their money on new experiences.
There were nearly 350 million more international tourists in 2017 than in 2010, according to the World Tourism Organization.
Which airline employs the most female pilots?
Globally, just 5.18% of commercial pilots are women, according to the Air Line Pilots Association International trade union.
Indian airlines employ the highest proportion of female pilots at 12.4%. That’s according to the latest statistics from the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISWAP).
Zoom Air, a regional Indian airline, tops the leader board. ISWAP says it employs nine female pilots out of a total of 30.
Kathy McCullough, communications chairwoman for ISWAP and a retired female captain, said that Indian companies have “aggressively encouraged more women to become airline pilots in what they see as an upcoming pilot shortage.”
The female pilot teaching African women to fly
Captain Kate McWilliams, an EasyJet employee, became the world’s youngest female airline captain at the age of 26.
She said: “A lot of people think it’s a highly technical job, which puts them off.
“But a huge amount of it is being good with people. As a captain, you’re a people manager. There needs to be a change in perception around the job.”