The aviation industry faces increasing scrutiny because of the low numbers of women employed as senior executives or airline pilots, Channel Newsasia reported. At the same time, the industry’s growing shortage of pilots endangers the sector’s growth.
Executives from top aviation and aerospace companies at the Farnborough Airshow have called for stepped up efforts to attract more women to the industry, with many signing a UK charter committing to efforts to support the promotion of women to senior roles.
Executives say bolstering the number of the women in the industry could help solve looming shortages of pilots, mechanics and top managers in the traditionally male-dominated sector.
The aviation industry faces increasing scrutiny because of the low numbers of women employed as senior executives or airline pilots, Channel Newsasia reported. At the same time, the industry’s growing shortage of pilots endangers the sector’s growth.
Last month, Qatar Airways’ Akbar Al Baker drew flak when he said that a woman could not do his job, although he later apologised, saying his comments had been intended as a joke and were taken out of context.
Currently, only 3–4% of pilots globally are women, Marnie Munn, an airline captain with easyJet said at the Farnborough Airshow.
At Airbus, women now account for 17.5% of the company’s workforce of 140,000 — a small increment from 15% in 2005, said Jane Basson, chief of staff to Airbus CEO Tom Enders.
“It's not progressing fast enough," Basson said, adding that her company was now using data analysis tools to understand why it was proving so difficult to recruit and retain women.
The signing of the charter commits organisations to setting their own targets and reporting on progress in promoting women to senior roles. The signatories also agree to have a senior executive oversee diversity efforts, and to link pay of senior executives to meeting internal targets on gender diversity and inclusion.
Budget airline easyJet has a target that 20% of its new pilots should be female by 2020 and British Aviation Minister Liz Sugg said other firms were taking similar steps.
But more work is needed to close pay gaps that often exceeded 50% in the aerospace sector, add women to corporate boards and recruit more female pilots, Sugg said, noting that women make up just 5% of pilots at UK-registered airlines.