Gone are the days when a woman’s role in aviation was confined to being a flight attendant or an “air hostess”. Today, more and more women are taking the captain’s seat and advancing representation within the aviation industry.
In South Africa, the number of female pilots has grown over the past few years. Women now make up almost 10% of all pilots in the country. These include Captain Annabel Vundla, the national carrier’s first black African female captain, and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi, first black African female management pilot.
India is another country making headway for women in the aviation industry. There are more than 1 200 female pilots in India, and around 10% of them fly commercially. The country has long been empowering women to break barriers and make their mark in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Elsewhere in the world, women are demonstrating a strong desire to pursue a career in piloting and aviation-related jobs. According to a recent report by the Anadolu Agency, Türkiye’s national carrier Turkish Airlines employs 329 female pilots. Not only is Emel Arman one of these pilots, she’s also the first female pilot to fly commercial flights, the airline’s first female pilot, and the first female captain. She still flies with Turkish Airlines today.
As female pilots take to the skies, they are inspired by legends Raymonde de Laroche, one of the most memorable female pilots in history; Bedriye Tahir Gökmen, Türkiye’s first female aviator; and Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean – arguably the world’s most famous pilot.
Piloting a plane shouldn’t be a matter of gender. It’s about talent, desire and determination.
