India tops in number of women pilots in the world: Hardeep Puri

Mar 08,2021

Gender equality persists in many professions in India, but in aviation, women rule the skies. India is the country with a maximum number of women pilots in the world. In a tweet the Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Indian carriers employ close to 12.4% women pilots. "India tops in the proportion of women pilots than any other nation. Indian carriers employ close to 12.4% women pilots, which is much higher than the world average of 5.4%," Hardeep Puri Singh tweeted.

In another tweet, the aviation minister said: "Women power soars high! 210 women pilots including 103 captains are a part of the Air India family. AAI is efficiently women-ed by 507 women Air Traffic Controllers."

The percentage of female pilots in India is twice as high as in most Western countries, including the United States and Australia. Globally, less than 5 per cent of pilots are women, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

In a historic move in January this year, Air India's longest direct route flight with the all-women pilot team landed at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from San Francisco, flying over the North Pole and covering a distance of about 16,000 kilometres.

"Today, we created world history by not only flying over the North Pole but also by having all women pilots who successfully did it. We are extremely happy and proud to be part of it. This route has saved 10 tonnes of fuel," Captain Zoya Aggarwal had said.