Women in Aviation Archives

IndiGo Tops India In Pilot Numbers But Has Lowest Pilot-To-Aircraft Ratio At 7.6

Aviation Today News Desk / March 13, 2026

New Delhi, India: India’s largest airline IndiGo has the lowest pilot-to-aircraft ratio among domestic carriers, the government informed Parliament, highlighting […]

Women in Aviation

Ethiopian Airlines Marks International Women’s Day With 8 All-Women-Operated Flights

Aviation Today News Desk / March 10, 2026

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Ethiopian Airlines marked International Women’s Day by operating eight flights staffed entirely by women, highlighting female participation

Women in Aviation

IndiGo And Air India Lead Global Average With Higher Share Of Women Pilots

Aviation Today News Desk / March 9, 2026

New Delhi, India: Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India have reported significantly higher representation of women pilots compared with the

Women have been breaking barriers in aviation for more than a century. In 1910, French aviator Raymonde de Laroche became the world’s first licensed female pilot, inspiring generations to take to the skies. In the United States, Amelia Earhart made history in 1932 as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, becoming a global icon for female aviators. In Russia, Marina Raskova emerged as a legendary pilot during World War II, helping form the all-female combat regiments known as the “Night Witches.” Sarla Thukral became the first Indian woman to earn a pilot’s license in 1936 at the age of 21. She trained on a Gypsy Moth aircraft and paved the way for others, including Prem Mathur, who in 1951 became the first woman to fly a commercial aircraft in India. These pioneers laid the foundation for today’s progress, where India now has one of the highest proportions of female pilots globally, far surpassing the world average. Despite these advances, technical and leadership roles in aviation such as aircraft maintenance engineering, ground operations, and senior management have long been male-dominated. Today, however, new milestones in India and Malaysia are demonstrating how women are reshaping every aspect of the aviation industry. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has inducted its first-ever all-women batch of aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs). On September 15, 2025, the airline welcomed 33 women technicians who completed a week-long induction program featuring mentoring sessions by senior leaders and female engineers. The initiative reflects IndiGo’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), focusing on placing women in technical and leadership roles beyond traditional cabin crew or customer service positions. IndiGo’s workforce already demonstrates significant female representation, with women making up 44.8% of its employees. The airline employs 791 female pilots, accounting for 15.28% of its total pilot cadre well above the global average of about 5%, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. The airline also posted an impressive Technical Dispatch Reliability of 99.89% in FY25, underlining that diversity initiatives are aligned with operational excellence. This move is particularly significant in India, where aviation is growing rapidly and skilled engineers are in high demand. By positioning women in maintenance and technical operations, IndiGo is not only addressing workforce gaps but also challenging long-standing gender stereotypes in aviation engineering. Just days later, on September 18, 2025, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) made headlines by operating its first all-women flight, MH2610, from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu. The flight was staffed entirely by women across every touchpoint: cockpit crew, cabin attendants, engineers, ground handlers, security, and check-in staff. As reported by Bernama, Malaysia Airlines emphasized that women currently make up 36% of the Malaysia Aviation Group’s workforce, exceeding the IATA 25by2025 initiative target, which calls for at least 25% female representation in aviation leadership roles by 2025. The airline described the all-women flight as a symbolic milestone aimed at inspiring women in the industry and young aspirants considering aviation careers. MAS stated that the initiative demonstrates “the sky has no limits” when it comes to women’s capabilities in aviation. Both IndiGo’s engineering initiative and MAS’s symbolic flight highlight the changing face of aviation, especially in Asia. Traditionally, women in aviation were most visible as cabin crew, while technical and command positions remained male-dominated. But these initiatives show women stepping into areas once considered inaccessible: maintenance hangars, cockpits, engineering bays, and executive offices. Globally, airlines and regulators have struggled to increase women’s representation in aviation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched 25by2025 to push for more female leaders, yet progress remains uneven. The U.S., for instance, has less than 6% female pilots, and Europe records similar figures. India, however, is an outlier. It leads the world with over 15% women pilots, and airlines like IndiGo, Air India have been steadily increasing female participation in technical roles. Analysts suggest that India’s early pioneers like Sarla Thukral created an aspirational path, and the country’s booming aviation sector is now providing opportunities to convert ambition into careers.

Women in Aviation

Girls in Aviation Day: IndiGo, Malaysia Airlines Celebrate Inspiring Firsts for Women

Aviation Today News Desk / September 20, 2025

Women have been breaking barriers in aviation for more than a century. In 1910, French aviator Raymonde de Laroche became

Indiana, United States: Anh‑Thu Nguyen, a trailblazing pilot and aerospace engineer celebrated for inspiring Asian women to pursue aviation and STEM careers, died Wednesday morning in a plane crash in Greenwood, Indiana. She was 44. Nguyen, who in 2024 became only the tenth woman to circumnavigate the globe solo and the first of Vietnamese descent to achieve the feat, was attempting to recreate her historic flight when her single‑engine Lancair IV‑P went down shortly after takeoff from Indy South Greenwood Airport. The crash occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m., moments after the aircraft lifted off on a planned leg toward Pennsylvania. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft bank sharply before spiraling down behind a Circle K gas station along Main Street. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The aircraft involved was a 2005 Lancair IV‑P, a high‑performance kit‑built plane known for its speed and efficiency. Investigators have not yet determined whether mechanical issues, environmental factors or pilot workload contributed to the crash. A preliminary report is expected within two weeks. Nguyen was more than an accomplished pilot. A Boeing 767 commercial aviator, flight instructor and chief pilot at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Florida, she also held a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2018, she founded Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation, a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring and empowering Asian women pursuing careers in aviation and related STEM fields. Before Wednesday’s flight, Nguyen posted a video message from the cockpit expressing excitement about repeating her world‑spanning journey, this time as part of a public outreach mission. “Hi everyone, I’m super excited today; I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world. This is more than just a flight, it's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals. Wish me luck, let's keep flying forward together,” she said. Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation said in a statement that Nguyen “was an inspiring pilot, instructor and advocate for girls and women in aerospace and aviation. She was a beacon of hope to many, proving that women of color belong at every level of this industry.”

Aircraft Crashes

Renowned Pilot Anh-Thu Nguyen Killed in Plane Crash While Recreating Historic Journey

Aviation Today News Desk / August 1, 2025

Indiana, United States: Anh‑Thu Nguyen, a trailblazing pilot and aerospace engineer celebrated for inspiring Asian women to pursue aviation and

United Kingdom: Unite the Union has raised serious concerns over the prevalence of sexual harassment across the UK and Ireland’s civil aviation sector. In an official statement issued on 8 July 2025, the union confirmed that frontline workers including cabin crew, check-in agents, baggage handlers, and ground staff continue to face persistent and under-reported incidents of workplace harassment. These findings were released as part of Unite’s ongoing Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment campaign, which seeks to enforce employer responsibility following the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. The Act legally mandates employers to take proactive steps to prevent harassment in the workplace. Reported Conditions in Civil Aviation While the union’s public release did not include numerical data, a follow-up report by International Airport Review presented detailed figures attributed to Unite’s internal survey. These findings were based on data gathered from workers in the civil air transport sector. According to the report: “Over one-third of women working in UK and Ireland civil air transport have been sexually assaulted in the workplace.” Additional data shared in the same article includes: 67% experienced unwanted flirting or sexual gestures 65% were subjected to sexually offensive jokes 55% reported inappropriate touching 40% said pornographic images were shown or shared at work 47% said they experienced harassment on more than two occasions 34% said such incidents occurred more than once 80% of affected workers did not formally report the incidents 76% stated their employer took no action when incidents were reported These findings point to systemic issues in workplace culture across civil aviation roles, where the combination of shift-based work, hierarchical operations, and frequent passenger interactions may increase vulnerability while discouraging reporting. Unite’s Position and Recommendations In response, Unite is urging aviation employers and regulators to take immediate action. The union’s demands include: Implementation of mandatory sexual harassment policies across all aviation employers Sector-specific training for frontline staff and managers Paid release time and formal recognition for trained equality representatives An extension of the current three-month employment tribunal time limit for sexual harassment cases Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham reiterated that aviation workers deserve the same protections as those in any other sector. She called for stronger enforcement mechanisms and urged employers to move beyond compliance to create genuinely safe and respectful workplaces. About Unite the Union Unite the Union is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom and Ireland, representing over 1.2 million members across a wide range of sectors including aviation, transport, manufacturing, and public services. The union plays a leading role in advocating for workers’ rights, collective bargaining, and workplace safety. It is particularly active in the aviation sector, representing staff at major airlines, airports, and ground handling firms. Unite also maintains a network of trained equality representatives and provides legal, mental health, and policy support to members facing harassment or discrimination at work.

Civil Aviation Workforce

1 in 3 Women in UK & Irish Aviation Sexually Assaulted, Unite Backed Report Reveals

Aviation Today News Desk / July 10, 2025

United Kingdom: Unite the Union has raised serious concerns over the prevalence of sexual harassment across the UK and Ireland’s

Women in Aviation

Women in Aviation: Celebrating Their Journey This International Women’s Day 2025

Aviation Today News Desk / March 8, 2025

Picture credits: Women in Aviation International This Women’s Day, under the theme “Accelerate Action,” we recognize the contributions of women

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu urged more women to enter the aviation industry, particularly as helicopter pilots, emphasizing their importance in linking rural places where establishing airports is challenging. At the "Aviation Conclave 2024 - Empowering Women to Soar," sponsored by The Ninety-Nines India Section, Naidu conveyed the importance of helicopters in India's increasing aviation network | Aviation Today

MoCA

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Urges More Women to Become Helicopter Pilots

Aviation Today News Desk / December 3, 2024

Picture from X New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu urged more women to enter the aviation industry, particularly

Indigo Airlines has the most female pilots of any airline, with 791, accounting for 15.28% of their overall workforce. Air India follows closely with 541 female pilots, accounting for 15.62% of its pilot staff. Alliance Air has the greatest percentage of female pilots (17.36%), with 25 women pilots out of 144 total. SpiceJet employs 61 female pilots, accounting for 16.39% of its total, whereas SNV Aviation employs 119 female pilots, or 14.01%. Air India Express employs 230 female pilots, representing 12.96% of the total pilot staff. These numbers show an increase in women's presence in India's aviation sector, reflecting the industry's expanding gender diversity | Aviation Today

Civil Aviation

Women Make Up 15% of Indian Pilots: The Increasing Number of Female Aviators

Aviation Today News Desk / November 29, 2024

Image credits : Flight Training Balkan India: Imagine a world when female pilots outnumber male pilots. India is steadily moving

The second day of Air Expo Abu Dhabi 2024 was a dynamic celebration of aerospace innovation, cooperation, and advancement. As the halls filled with industry executives, innovators, and aviation fans, there was an undeniable energy in the air, establishing the event as an important milestone in the region's aviation future | Aviation Today

Airshows & Events

Air Expo Abu Dhabi 2024: Day 2 Highlights

Aviation Today News Desk / November 21, 2024

In the image: GSI Abu Dhabi: The second day of Air Expo Abu Dhabi 2024, Nov 20th was a dynamic

Women in Aviation

IndiGo Tops India In Pilot Numbers But Has Lowest Pilot-To-Aircraft Ratio At 7.6

Ethiopian Airlines Marks International Women’s Day With 8 All-Women-Operated Flights

IndiGo And Air India Lead Global Average With Higher Share Of Women Pilots

Girls in Aviation Day: IndiGo, Malaysia Airlines Celebrate Inspiring Firsts for Women

Renowned Pilot Anh-Thu Nguyen Killed in Plane Crash While Recreating Historic Journey

1 in 3 Women in UK & Irish Aviation Sexually Assaulted, Unite Backed Report Reveals

Women in Aviation: Celebrating Their Journey This International Women’s Day 2025

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Urges More Women to Become Helicopter Pilots

Women Make Up 15% of Indian Pilots: The Increasing Number of Female Aviators

Air Expo Abu Dhabi 2024: Day 2 Highlights

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