EasyJet has launched an initiative to help encourage more women to train for a career as a commercial airline pilot. The easyJet Amy Johnson Flying Initiative, named after the UK's most well-known and inspirational female pilot, was launched by the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin alongside the Government’s new Transport Skills Strategy, which aims to attract more women to roles in transport.
Last autumn easyJet announced its plan to increase the proportion of new recruit female pilots in its workforce. Industry-wide the proportion of female pilots has remained at around 5 per cent of all pilots for decades.
Currently women make up six per cent of easyJet’s new pilot intake and the airline plans to double this to 12% over the next two years. The airline will encourage female pilots at all ranks and positions by widening the pipeline of young women who enter easyJet’s pilot community.
The launch of the easyJet Amy Johnson Flying Initiative, in partnership with the British Women Pilots Association, is one of the first parts of a long term strategy to increase female pilots with six female, new entrant pilots having their training loan of around £100,000 underwritten by easyJet.
Amy Johnson was the first woman to fly solo to Australia in 1930. Originally from Hull, she gained her pilots license in 1929 at the London Aero Club. This year is the 75th anniversary of her death, whilst flying over the Thames Estuary for the Air Transport Auxiliary in 1941 during the Second World War.
Brian Tyrrell, easyJet’s Head of Flight Operations, said: “At easyJet we are committed to encouraging more women to consider a career as a pilot and the easyJet Amy Johnson Flying Initiative is one important way of enabling some women, who may not have been able to consider it before, to undertake training and start what is a very rewarding career for life.