Flight to equality: charting a course for women in aviation sector Premium

The under-representation of women, especially in leadership roles in India, has been a long-debated issue. While the country has the highest ratio of women airline pilots in the world at 15%, there is not enough female representation in other sectors such as aeronautical engineering, airport management jobs, air traffic control (ATC) and leadership roles.

The under-representation of women, especially in leadership roles in India, has been a long-debated issue. While the country has the highest ratio of women airline pilots in the world at 15%, there is not enough female representation in other sectors such as aeronautical engineering, airport management jobs, air traffic control (ATC) and leadership roles, said aviation professionals at a round-table on women in aviation during the recently concluded Wings India-2024, positioned as the largest civil aviation event in Asia. 

With only 15% women air traffic controllers, 11% flight dispatchers, including cabin crew, about 13% in the mid-managerial levels and less than 5% in CXO positions according to experts, India is at a par with the global averages. Women today occupy only 3% of positions in boardrooms of aviation companies, and most concerning is the helicopter industry, where India has a mere 2-3% of women. 

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has only 2-3% of women personnel while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation also has less than 10% of women representation in its staff, Rubina Ali, joint secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, said.

Globally, the greatest gender disparities exist in the fields of aviation maintenance technicians (2.6% female), airline transport pilots (4.6% female) and senior leadership positions (3% female). Still under-represented, but in greater numbers, women make up 11-20% of aerospace engineers, aviation higher education faculty, airport managers, air traffic controllers and dispatchers, the leaders expressed, highlighting that the absence of an equal balance is obvious. 

According to Neha Bagaria, founder and CEO of HerKey, a career engagement platform for women, less than 5% are looking for roles in aerospace and avionics. The job roles that aerospace companies are hiring for at HerKey include Electrical Engineering Manager,  Engineering Manager - Mechanical & Structure-Aircraft Mods and Conversion, Product Design and Analysis (Mechanical)- Aircraft Modifications and Payloads, Interiors and Structure and Senior Manager- Airplane Systems Engineering, the company told The Hindu. 

“Equipping women with the requisite technical skills is the starting point,” said Anju Madeka, CEO of Durgapur Airport.