The industry’s commitment to improving the gender balance is starting to deliver results. Since 2013, the percentage of active pilot licenses (including student, private, and commercial) held by women in the US increased from 4.9% to 13.8% in 2023.
Importantly, the share has been increasing steadily, by up to 1.3 percentage points each year, and the overall figure has doubled over the period, from around 39,000 to nearly 83,000.
Number and proportion of airmen/women in the US across age categories
The largest proportion of women is observed in the 14-15 and 16-19 age categories, where nearly a quarter of the (most likely trainee) pilots in 2023 were female. This share gradually decreases with age, dropping to only 2.7% in the 80 and over category.
In part, this reflects the historical male-dominated nature of the role, which has only begun to change more recently.
However, it may also suggest that more needs to be done to ensure that our industry remains an attractive and viable career option for women throughout their working life.
While there is no simple solution, any such initiatives must span the industry and be undertaken in a conscious and coordinated manner…
