Easyjet (U2/EZY) has its target for female pilot recruitment firmly in sight as it hits 15% milestone.
The low-cost airline has set a target for 20% of its pilot recruitment to be women by 2020 and achieving 15% in the last financial year shows that it’s initiatives are working.
Easyjet launched its Amy Johnson initiative, the the drive to recruit more women, in 2015, a time when only 6% of its pilots were women. At that time 20% equated to 50 female pilots but as the airline has grown, so has that number and the airline has attracted more than 50 female pilots this year alone to hit its 15% milestone.
There are now have more than 200 female pilots currently pilots flying for Easyjet.
The British Women Pilots Association (BWPA) said it was “delighted” with the Easyjet’s continued progress in recruiting more women into flying and Julie Westhorp, Chairman of the BWPA said: “With the global shortage of pilots there is no better time for airlines to realise that by encouraging women to apply they are expanding their recruitment pool to recruit the best person for the role, as evidence and history clearly shows that being a pilot is not a male prerogative.”
Johan Lundgren, Easyjet CEO, added: “I firmly believe that no other airline is doing more on this issue.”
Over the next financial year Easyjet will recruit 460 new pilots to meet its requirements including cadet pilots starting their career to experienced co-pilots and captains from other airlines and pilots from the military.
The Generation Easyjet Pilot Training Programme is now open for aspiring pilots to apply with further information available on http://becomeapilot.easyjet.com/