Females make up a mere 5.18 percent of the pilot population, but efforts can be made to increase that number in years to come, said Jacqueline Davidson, a Boeing investing analyst. “When was the last time you saw a female pilot in your passenger journey?” Davidson asked during a session on “Pilot Talent Diversity: Minority Barriers Hindering the Majority” at the 2021 International Women in Aviation Conference.

In the 1970s, applicants with a military background were being hired quickly within the airlines. The military, being an affordable way to learn how to fly and build your time requirements, did not have female pilots at the time, she said. If a woman wanted to learn how to fly and build time, it was going to cost more than their male counterparts.

Davidson interviewed female pilots about their experience in the industry to try and understand why a job as a pilot can be discouraging for some women. Scheduling, preconceived ideas, being perceived as timid, and a feeling of having to choose in between family and work were some of the common answers from interviewees.

“Developmentally, we know that exposure can influence individuals,” noted Davidson. Young girls are not exposed to the idea that pilots can be female, therefore they do not consider the possibility. Davidson adds that the key to increasing the percentage is “seeing and believing.” Featuring minorities in the industry can be a key step in showing young girls that they too have a seat up in the flight deck.

It is a vital time to get females and other minority groups into the industry now that an even greater pilot shortage post-Covid is being predicted—one that is even greater than the shortage that was becoming evident before the pandemic erupted, she said, adding that with conscious efforts to grow the number of 7,500 female pilots, people won’t have to struggle as much to recount the last time their flight was piloted by females.