Great! Here’s an updated news article that incorporates the historical milestone of Durba Banerjee:
India Tops Global Charts in Number of Female Pilots; Pioneers Like Durba Banerjee Paved the Way
New Delhi, April 9 — In a remarkable stride towards gender equality in aviation, India has emerged as the global leader in the number of female pilots, according to a report released by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) in 2018. The report highlights that women make up approximately 13 per cent of the pilot workforce in India—more than double the global average of just 5 per cent.
This means that nearly one out of every eight flights in India is flown by a woman, a significant achievement in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Leading Indian carriers such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India have been instrumental in this progress, reporting the highest recruitment figures of women pilots in the country.
India’s progress in this arena builds upon the legacy of trailblazers like Durba Banerjee, who etched her name in history on May 14, 1987, by becoming the first woman to co-pilot an Airbus A300 on the Calcutta–New Delhi–Calcutta route (now Kolkata, West Bengal). Her achievement marked a turning point in Indian aviation and opened the skies for countless aspiring women pilots.
Aviation experts and gender advocates hail India’s performance as a global model, attributing this success to a mix of inclusive recruitment policies, supportive training infrastructure, and changing societal perceptions.
With more women now reaching for the skies, India continues to inspire the world, proving that the cockpit is no longer an exclusive domain.
