In India, women rule the skies with the highest share of female pilots in the world

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• The percentage of female pilots in India is significantly higher than in any other developed country, according to data by International Society of Women Airline Pilots.
  
• Compared to the aviation market in other countries, all major airlines in India have at least 10% of their pilots as women.
  
• Zoom Air, a regional air service, has the highest number of female pilots at 30%

India may have a long way to go to achieve gender equality in many professions but in aviation, women rule the skies.

Airlines in India have the highest percentage of female commercial pilots compared to other markets, according to data by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

Less than 6% of 151,624 airline pilots across the globe are women. Surprisingly, India, which is a poster child for gender disparity, has been outperforming all other developed countries across the world with its impressive share of female pilots. Currently, Indian airlines have 1,092 female pilots as against 8,797 male pilots, reported Times of India.

India’s record is also higher than United Airlines, which employs the highest number of female pilots in the United States. Women make up 7.41% of the total 12,693 pilots at the airline.

One reason behind the trend is that India has been hiring more women pilots in order to resolve the issue of pilot shortage, according to a recent Reuters report.

Indian women are also more drawn towards the aviation industry as women commercial pilots enjoy the right of equal pay compared to other professions.

An Indian regional airline, Zoom air, has the highest share of female pilot across the globe. About 30% of the total 30 pilots working in Zoom are women.

Other Indian airlines with significant number of female pilots include Indigo (13.87%), Spice Jet (13.2%), Air India (12.7%) and Air Asia at 10%, according to the report.

Overall, the booming aviation industry is creating an increasing demand for pilots across the world. An estimate by aircraft maker, Boeing Co, suggests that over the coming 20 years, the world will have a demand of 790,000 new pilots.

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