Why is India a success story when it comes to gender diversity in airline industry?

India has the highest percentage of female pilots globally at 12.4 per cent, according to an estimate released by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

In comparison, developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are lagging behind with just 5.5 per cent and 4.7 per cent of female pilots, respectively.

India is setting an example for other countries and sectors striving to get more women into their ranks.

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Several airlines are facing a staff crunch due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and hiring more women could help resolve these issues.

While several studies have even shown that female pilots cause fewer safety incidents, even businesses that are more diverse tend to perform better.

From outreach programmes to improved corporate policies and strong family support, Indian women are being encouraged by a string of factors.

By granting scholarships and subsidising commercial pilot training, state governments are helping women to get employed in the sector.

Michele Halleran, a professor and director of diversity initiatives at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, told Bloomberg that ''India has started decades ago recruiting women into STEM positions, including pilots.''

“In the US, we have only started the demand for a diversity movement in aviation because of our current drastic pilot and technician shortage.”

In order to retain female talent, Vistara offers pregnant pilots and cabin crew the option of temporary jobs on the ground or administrative roles.

Meanwhile, India’s largest passenger airline, IndiGo is offering flexibility to women pilots and crew to continue working safely.

With a bigger total staff of both men and women, the absolute numbers of women pilots still tend to be higher in developed countries than in India due to much larger airline markets in the US.

Hiring more women can ease a persistent deficit of pilots and airport workers that is forcing airlines to reduce and cancel flights.

In the next two decades, the world will need more than 600,000 new pilots, according to Boeing Company.

Aviation Safety Network reported that since 1945, the US had almost five times as many fatal air accidents as India.

Crash rates for male pilots exceeded that of women as per a study that assessed airplane and helicopter crash data between 1983 and 1997.

According to 'Women in Combat Arms: A Study of the Global War on Terror', women operate aircraft “more safely” accounting for only 3 per cent of accidents even as they constituted 10 per centof all US army helicopter pilots.

(With inputs from agencies)

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