According to a report by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Indian aviation watchdog, there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of commercial pilot licenses that have been granted to women in 2023, with a total of 1,622 licenses being issued. The DGCA has granted more licenses than it has in the previous ten years.
Around 18.1 per cent of new licenses have been granted to women pilots which is an increase of 22.5 per cent from 2022. Women pilots make up an estimated 14 per cent of the workforce working for scheduled airlines.
The DCGA report also highlights that this year marks the second consecutive year that the total number of licenses issued has reached the highest percentage compared to the previous 10 years.
The country's civil aviation industry is still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, which is consistent with the rise in licenses. During this time, significant aircraft orders have been announced by major operators like IndiGo and Air India.
In an effort to transform the long-ailing Indian flag carrier into a major player in the global aviation industry, the Tata Group has committed to buying at least 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, valued at an estimated $34 billion. According to a report, low-cost airline IndiGo is getting ready to accept 500 narrow-body A320 family aircraft from Airbus, valued at $50 billion.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation mentions that although there is no pilot shortage in the country there are fewer commanders for some aircraft, to address this issue they are utilizing foreign pilots through Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA).
