India has topped the world by having double the global average of women pilots, according to a study done by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISA+21). The country also has the highest percentage of women pilots.
According to The Times of India, there are 1,51,624 airline pilots in the world. Out of this, 8,118 (5.4 per cent) are women and 2,225 (1.5 per cent) of them are captains.
In India, there are 8,797 airline pilots out of which 1,092 (12.4 per cent) are women and 385 of them are captains.
TOI reports that Zoom, a regional aircraft, has the highest percentage of women pilots at 30 per cent. It is followed by Indigo and Jet Airways.
"In the past five years, the number of women pilots has increased from 80 to over 330. We have women pilots flying as trainers and some are in managerial positions as well. Two of our women pilots have been nominated as flight operations inspectors with DGCA," an Indigo spokesperson told TOI.
The spokesperson went on to say that to help with parental duties, crèches and daycare centres have been added. He went on to say that during the maternity leave, the women are given a choice to work, (not flying) which helps them to stay in touch with their profession.
