According International Society of Women Airline Pilots a.k.a. ISA+21, India employs 12.4% of women pilots, which is double the global average that stands at 5.4%. Among 8,797 pilots in India, 1,092 pilots ate women, and 385 of these women pilots work as female captains. In the world, there are 1.5 lakh pilots in the total, of which only 8,061 are women, and 2,190 of these are female captains.
Among the carriers, Indigo employs the second highest percentage of women pilots at 13.9%. In the total of 2,689 pilots in IndiGo, around 351 are women. In Jet Airways, there are 1,867 pilots, among which 231 are women, making 12.4% of women. SpiceJet is the next airline that has appeared in this list, with 13.2% of women. It has 853 pilots, of which 113 are women. The country’s national carrier Air India, on the other hand, reports 12.7% of women pilots. It has 1,710 pilots of which 21 are women.
According to IndiGo, the number of women pilots have surged from 80 to 330 in the past five years. IndiGo also offers facilities such as creches to its women pilots, allowing them to fulfil their maternal duties along with professional obligations. During the maternity period, the airline also offers flexible work modes, such as excluding flying duties. The pilots who take up this work mode are eligible to get office duty allowance. Such provisions will help them to stay back in the duty without taking long carrier breaks.
Surprisingly, the number of women pilots employed by US-based carrier United Airlines stands at a mere 7.5%, a little above the global average. Another US-based carrier Delta Airlines has a much lower percentage, at 4.7. However, United Airlines employs the most significant number of women commanders in the world with 299 female captains. American Airlines has 152 female captains, followed by Southwest at 121.
