It’s no secret that women are breaking the glass ceiling across various industries traditionally dominated by men, including the airline industry!
LOOK: Philippine Airlines Field All-Female Flight Crew This Women's Month
Case in point: in celebration of Women’s Month and International Women’s Day, Philippine Airlines (PAL) has mounted all-women crews for at least nine flights this week, including international destinations with some heading to United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
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Captain Lilybeth Ng, AVP for Pilot Affairs of PAL’s Flight Operations, said that the move is their way of reminding the public that women can work in any sector, including the traditionally male-dominated aviation industry. The all-female crew encompasses everyone in the flight crew—including the pilot, first officer, and all cabin crew members.
"It’s the same as driving a car. Before, there were no female [drivers]. Maybe male passengers or in general passengers were afraid of female drivers. It’s a matter of perception," she said on the rise of female pilots. Currently, an all-female crew is not yet an ordinary sight in the Philippines. At PAL, 12 percent of pilots are women. While this is a significant number, the airline is confident that the male to female ratio will still improve in the near future.
Captain Lilybeth also shared that decades ago, female pilots were unheard of in the country, saying, "I remember when we were in PAL Aviation School before, it was kinda new. There were five of us lady pilots, pilot trainees."
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During the send-off for the female pilots and crew, the first Filipina commercial airline pilot, Aimee Carandang Gloria, was there to grace the event with her ~*inspirational*~ presence. She’s not just the pioneering female pilot in the country but also the first woman captain in Southeast Asia! She expressed hope for the future of aviation for women. "Twelve percent, 60 plus women pilots. I think that is a testament to that belief women can really achieve anything they set their minds to," she said.
