Women now make up about 14% of airline pilots in India, more than twice the world average, and the total is growing at a record pace. The Directorate General for Civil Aviation reported that 18% (292) of the 1,622 commercial pilots certificated were women and it expects that trend to continue. That was a jump of 22% over the previous year. “This is the second consecutive year where the number of licenses issued a decade high,” the DCGA said in a statement.
India has previously relied on offshore training in Europe and North America to fill the flight decks of its growing airliner fleet but has, in the past few years, prioritized home-based training. The number of new commercial pilots graduated this year was more than double that of 10 years ago and the female share of that total has tripled. It’s still nowhere near enough with India leading airline growth in the world. Its airlines have more than 1,600 aircraft on order, and the country is actively promoting aviation as a career to young people.
