As per the data presented by Mohol in Lok Sabha last Thursday, IndiGo boasts the largest fleet of 5,714 pilots, comprising 4,383 Indian male pilots, 791 Indian female pilots, and 34 foreign pilots.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed Parliament that one out of every seven pilots working for six leading Indian airlines is a woman, with IndiGo leading the statistics. Collectively, these domestic airlines employ 11,775 pilots, which includes 236 foreign nationals. India has a total of 26,539 licensed pilots.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol noted that there are 10,008 Indian male pilots, while 1,767 are Indian female pilots. “Fifteen percent of pilots in the country are women,” he stated. Reports indicate that the worldwide average of female pilots is around 5 percent.
As per the data presented by Mohol in Lok Sabha last Thursday, IndiGo holds the highest number of 5,714 pilots, which includes 4,383 Indian male pilots, 791 Indian female pilots, and 34 foreign pilots.
Although IndiGo has the most female pilots, Alliance Air has the highest percentage of female pilots at 17.36 percent, with 25 women out of 144 total pilots. IndiGo’s percentage stands at 15.28 percent.
Air India employs 15.62 percent female pilots – 541 out of 3,462 – while SpiceJet has a higher percentage at 16.39 percent – 61 out of 372 – and Air India Express has the lowest at 12.96 percent, accounting for 119 out of 1,774. SNV Aviation has 14.01 percent female pilots, totaling 119 out of 849. Air India has 34 foreign pilots, Alliance Air has 20, and Air India Express has 144, while both SpiceJet and SNV Aviation have not hired any foreign pilots.
Mohol emphasized that India’s aviation sector is expanding rapidly and will need a significant number of pilots over the next five years.
Though recruitment falls outside the Ministry’s direct oversight, he mentioned that it has fostered a supportive environment to enhance the capacity for training commercial pilots. He explained that the Ministry, along with the Airports Authority of India, has implemented a liberalized Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy that eliminates the concept of airport loyalty (revenue share payments by FTOs to AAI) and has significantly rationalized land rentals. “Following a competitive bidding process in two phases during 2021 and 2022…AAI granted 15 FTO slots at 10 airports. Of these, 11 FTO slots are currently operational,” he remarked.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released a recommendation for the aviation industry, urging airlines and airports to adopt various strategies to foster gender equality. In its guidance to stakeholders, it suggested raising women’s representation to 25% by 2025 and encouraged initiatives such as skill enhancement training programs for cabin crew and leadership development opportunities for women.
IATA ’25BY2025′
The International Air Transport Association also advocated for increased representation of women through its ’25by2025′ initiative, which seeks to implement global best practices. This advisory aligns with the vision of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which aims to foster gender equality by creating equal opportunities for women in the aviation field.
What DGCA advisory entails
The regulatory body has proposed measures such as enforcing a zero-tolerance stance on sexual harassment, setting diversity goals, and crafting HR policies to attain those objectives, as reported by the Economic Times, referencing an official source.
Additionally, the circular suggests broadening the job profiles available to women and highlighting female role models, among other recommendations, according to the newspaper.
Organizations have been encouraged to comply with government regulations concerning maternity leave and childcare facilities, as well as to establish policies for re-hiring women who have stepped away for parenting duties.
The DGCA has reportedly also called on airlines to facilitate training programs that allow cabin crew to gain experience across various departments within the organization by acquiring knowledge in diverse technical and operational fields.
It recommended that aviation companies explore the exit interviews of women employees who depart their positions to enhance their retention strategies and organize awareness sessions to mitigate inherent gender biases among employees.
Women representation across sectors in India
As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Labour Bureau in October 2023, women’s participation in the overall workforce rose to 37% in 2022-23, up from 23.3% in 2017-18.
The IT sector boasts the highest proportion of women in the workforce at 30%, followed by the financial services sector at 22.4% in the fiscal year 2021-22, according to a study by the CFA Institute. In contrast, the FMCG and industrial sectors ranked at the bottom with representation rates of 5.5% and 4.3%, respectively.
The notable fact that 15% of India’s pilots are women, in contrast to the global average of 5%, clearly signifies the progress achieved toward gender equality in the aviation industry. As India’s aviation sector continues to expand, the participation and advancement of women will be crucial in addressing future needs. By persistently supporting and empowering women in aviation, India is not only strengthening its own industry but also establishing a compelling example for the global community. The pursuit of genuine gender equality in aviation is well on its way, with India at the forefront.
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