26 Per cent Increase In Pilot Licences Issued To Women In United Kingdom, UK Civil Aviation Authority Says Job Not Done Yet, India Tops The List.

UK-CAA : Between 2019 and 2023, there has been a 26 per cent increase in pilot licences issued to women.
There’s been a 43% increase in the number of licences issued to women for commercial flying, and a 11% increase for general aviation flyers.
Licences for women remain under 10 per cent of total and UK Civil Aviation Authority continues big push for more women in aviation.
25by2025 is a global initiative led by IATA to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the aviation industry.

Not sure if the 25by2025 campaign will be a Grand success, but it'll surely achieve the objective, as more women are now flying aeroplanes, helicopters and other forms of aircraft than ever before, as seen in a new data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK-CAA).

With still only around six per cent of pilots worldwide being women, there has seen a 26 per cent increase in the number of female pilots being issued licences from the UK regulator. However, there remains a significant gap between the numbers of male and female pilots getting licenced in the UK.

The 25by2025 campaign was launched on 26 September 2019 with participating airlines making a voluntary commitment to:

Increase the number of women in senior positions (to be defined by the member airlines) by either 25% against currently reported metrics or to a minimum representation of 25% by 2025.
Increase the number of women in under-represented jobs (e.g., pilots and operations) by either 25% against currently reported metrics or to a minimum representation of 25% by 2025.
Report annually on key diversity metrics.

As per IATA, Aviation is making substantial progress through 25by2025: from 2021 to 2022, the signatories counted over 1,000 new female pilots (+25%) in their ranks, and 28% of women in senior roles (vs. 24% in 2021).

As of November 2023, the 25by2025 signatory split is as follows: Europe 44%, the Americas 23%, Asia-Pacific15%, Africa - Middle-East 11% and North Asia 7%.

The United Kingdom news comes after a Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter (WiAAC) event held at the Farnborough International Airshow. During the panel, the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s Chair and Patron of the Charter, Sir Stephen Hillier highlighted the overall post-pandemic recovery in the number of licences issued.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority data showed that in 2019, the number of pilot licenses issued to women were 239, but this increased to 301 in 2023. This compares to 3267 issued in 2019 and 3752 in 2023 – only a 15 per cent increase.

Sharon Nicholson, Chairwoman of the British Women Pilots’ Association and UK Airprox Board Inspector at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“As a pilot, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the rise in female pilots over the years, the change in the industry makes it more accessible for young women.

“I actively encourage young females to consider flying as a career choice and it’s empowering to see so many unlocking the incredible possibilities of the aviation industry.”

Bronwyn Fraser, Secretary of the British Women Pilots’ Association and Sustainability Principal at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“Women pilots bring diverse perspectives and skills.

“But aviation is so much more than just flying. We have brilliant women engineers, air traffic controllers, and sustainability experts pushing the boundaries of innovation, developing new technologies and unlocking the full potential of our airspace.

“We need more young women in aviation and must inspire the next generation to take flight and build an inclusive future for aviation."

Most licences issued to female pilots were for aeroplanes – both commercial and general aviation – with 270 licences issued in 2023, compared to 202 in 2019, marking a 34 per cent increase in aeroplane licences issued to women.

There has also been a 43 per cent increase in commercial licences issued to women, compared to 31 per cent for men. For private licences issued, there has been a 11 per cent increase for women, whereas there has been a one per cent decrease for men.

As per UK-CAA, Helicopter licences (25 issued in 2023) were the second most common licences issues by the regulator, with balloon pilot licences the third most common (3). Other pilot licences issued include Gyroplanes and Sailplanes.

The increase in the number of licences issued also signals a recovery following a drop in the number of licence applications during the Covid-19 period (2020-2021).

The India Female Pilots Story !

India's civil aviation regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently shared statistics suggesting arise in the number of women pilots in India.

In 2023, India witnessed a significant 22 per cent surge in the issuance of commercial pilot licenses, with 18.1 per cent being granted to women pilots.

This marks a substantial 22.5 per cent growth from the previous year. A decade-high of 1,622 commercial pilot licenses were issued in 2023, up from 1,165 licenses in 2022.

This increase signifies a decade-high, continuing the trend from the previous year. Currently, about 14 per cent of scheduled airline employees in India are women pilots.

Several Indian airlines have implemented policies to encourage, support and retain female talent. For example, IndiGo provides flexibility for women pilots and crew during pregnancy, offering 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, along with childcare facilities.

Though the results are encouraging here and many carriers are working in this direction, still lots of hindrance to be crossed to achieve the goal.

An year 2019 poll of 2,000 British parents and children commissioned by the Luton-based carrier easyjet indicated that more than a quarter of young girls would consider a career as a pilot.

But the survey suggested that more than half (51%) of children believe their career choices are restricted by gender stereotypes. The figure for their parents was 66%.

However, the UK Civil Aviation Authority says that it continues to support increasing the numbers of women in aviation and aerospace, particularly through its STEM programme.

The regulator supports several initiatives to encourage girls to gain the skills they need to pursue careers in the industry including, The Girls Network, STEMettes and Tech She Can.