Since the first commercial airline service began operations more than a century ago, earning one’s flight wings still comes with the same amount of honour and prestige. To be a sailor of the skies requires a high level of intelligence, the ability to handle immense amounts of pressure, and a strong presence of mind. (Image: Reuters)
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As more and more people are being able to afford air tickets in India, the need for commercial pilots has shot up. India is touted as the world’s fastest growing aviation market with domestic capacity going up by 22 percent in the first half of 2018. According to an estimate by Boeing, close to 7,90,000 new pilots will be needed to man cockpits in airlines operating across the globe in the next 20 years. (Image: Reuters)
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One way to meet this imminent dearth in supply is that more women take up the front seat in cockpits. In the 21st century, commercial aviation continues to be a boys’ club. According to data from the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, only five percent of the world’s commercial airline pilots are women. (Image: Reuters)
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India has the largest number of female pilots, with 12 percent of the country’s commercial pilots being women. Female representation in the cockpits of airlines based out of Western countries such as the US and Australia is less than half of that managed by their Indian counterparts. (Image: Reuters)
If one can pass the muster, being an airline pilot is one of the few industries that provide an equal-opportunity work environment for women. Salaries are handed out on the basis of seniority, and the number of flight hours clocked. There is no gender gap in the disbursement of payments, as equal pay is mandated by unions. Airline pilots start out earning $25,000 to $40,000 per year, with maternity leave and daycare facilities included in their employment contracts.(Image: Reuters)
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While there is still a long way to go before there is gender parity in the cockpits of commercial planes across India, the rising number of women enrolling in flight schools can be safely assumed to be a step taken in the right direction. (Image: Reuters)
