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鈥淭he Representation of Women Air Transport Pilots in United States Airlines and the Unique Barriers Women and Minorities Face in The Industry.鈥�

By Fenix Gaviria

Introduction
The number of women and minorities in the profession of airline transport pilots in the US is extremely low compared to men. Women and minorities heavily endure sexism and racism in their field of work. In this essay, I will first identify the unique barriers Latina and Black women face as current airline transport pilots. Then, I will take a closer look at the specific barriers women face such as isolation, sexism, lack of supportive resources, and the negative work culture in this profession. The disparity and barriers are deeply concerning because there is a strong need for equal opportunities for every individual, no matter the race, gender, or age, to have the ability to become professional aviators without having to face racism or sexism. The underrepresentation of women and minorities in the U.S. airline transport pilot careers is not only a demographic issue, but a result of long-standing established cultural and institutional barriers. This lack of diversity hinders the potential for industry inclusion, creating a cycle of underrepresentation and exclusion. Addressing these barriers requires an industry-wide culture shift, increased awareness of women as professional pilots, expansion of mentorship, and increased support for women and minorities from aviation education institutions and the workforce.

Background
The commercial aviation airline industry has successfully been around for almost 115 years, starting in January 1914 with the first scheduled commercial airline (Federal Aviation Administration, 2023). The aviation industry has made tremendous mechanical and technological advancements within the last century, but the industry is lacking in one crucial element: the representation of women and minorities in the workplace. Since the birth of the aviation industry, women have been recognized as commercial pilots for only half the time it has been around. Emily Howell Warner became the first woman to be named a permanent pilot for a scheduled US airline, holding passengers in 1973, only 52 years ago (Federal Aviation Administration, 2024). With the first woman airline transport pilot only being allowed in the cockpit less than a century ago, this demonstrates the long-established barriers that have been ingrained since the birth of the aviation industry. From 2007 to 2021, female Airline Transport Pilots increased slightly from 3.7% to 4.7% (Marete & Wang, 2024). To put this gap in perspective, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 56.1% of women in the general labor workforce in 2021. Therefore, the underrepresentation of women in the profession of airline transport pilot is evident.

Latina Women in Aviation
Over a decade after Emily Howell Warner was hired, the first Latina woman airline transport pilot was hired in 1988. According to Olga Custodio in the book “Latinas in Aviation” by Jacqueline Ruiz (et al, 2022), Olga stated that when she entered her career, Latina women made up 0.1% of airline transport pilots. Although Latina women have made it into the field of professional aviation, the underrepresentation continues to be an issue. Having less than 1% of Latina pilots in the professional industry only 37 years ago from today, forms an ongoing barrier for Latinas in this profession. For example, individuals traditionally will choose a career that they can imagine themselves in. Seeing someone who resembles your identity fosters a sense of belonging within their respective workforce. However, if Latinas don't see airline transport pilots that resemble their ethnicity, gender, identity, or culture, it makes it seem like achieving this profession is unrealistic. With no role models or mentors to see in professional pilot positions, this only strengthens the barrier.

The incredibly low statistics in the beginning years of Latina women entering into the field of aviation has made improvements over the years. However, equal representation has not been accomplished yet. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021, Hispanic/Latinos, male and female, made up 6.1% of all Aircraft pilots and flight engineers in the US. Even with this statistic combining two genders and two professions in the aviation field, the underrepresentation continues. This research was originally designed to feature Latina women in aviation and analyze their representation, but due to the severely low presence in the industry, there is a lack of research data to present for this essay. The lack of research itself demonstrates the current severity of the divide between races and genders in the aviation industry. With little to no exploration on this topic, few role models, and an inadequacy of mentors, young aspiring Latina pilots may think the occupation is an unrealistic career. This might serve as discouragement in the process of choosing a career path and becoming a pilot. The information presented illustrates how the cycle of underrepresentation has continued for minority women.

Black Women in Aviation
Historically, Black female and male pilots were segregated until World War 2. Progress over time has been slow, but Black women have been able to make their way into the airline transport Pilot profession. However, Black women continue to be significantly underrepresented. The number of Black female pilots is quite low, 0.7% industry-wide, and approximately 20 Black female pilots, or 0.15% are employed by U.S legacy carriers such as United Airlines, Delta, American Airlines, Alaska, and Hawaiian Airlines (Zirulnik, 2013). These astonishingly low numbers illustrate the long-established discriminatory systemic racism and sexism. Throughout American history, racism and sexism have been strongly embedded in educational institutions and society. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 abolished segregation in public schools, which was less than 100 years ago. This results in the long struggle of educational access for Black women, which is extremely evident in the career of aviation. According to an article that investigated the experiences of Black female pilots, acknowledged that the idea of exploring a profession where levels of harassment and distress are raised far beyond the expected norms due to one's work, is one reason co-cultural groups may continue to be underrepresented in traditionally White, male-dominated professions (Zirnulnik & Orbe, 2019). For Black women, racism, sexism, harassment, and underrepresentation in the industry are heightened. This creates an extremely unhealthy environment, physically and mentally, that is demoralizing. These barriers don’t allow women to have relatable mentors or role models, which makes it seem like entering the field of aviation is nearly impossible for women of color. If the industry continues to facilitate an environment that is unhealthy, the underrepresentation of Black women and the discrimination they endure as airline transport pilots will unfortunately continue.

Isolation Due To Being In a Male-Dominated Field and The Lack of Support
The social pressures and expectations of women in the profession of airline transport pilots are one of many barriers in this profession. Women working in the traditionally male-dominated profession of aviation endure unique barriers due to the work environment. The expectation of fitting in with men is one of the many challenges women face. If women don't fit within these expectations, they may feel unwelcome and excluded. The barrier of feeling like an ‘outsider’ within their profession and lack of role models constrain the advancements for women (Germin et al, 2012). The extremely low statistics of Latina and Black women pilots illustrate how slow the advancements are due to the earlier-mentioned barriers. Women and minorities have a lack of supportive resources and very few individuals to offer motivation and mentorship in the face of adversity, which ultimately leads to a sense of isolation, deepening the prominent existing barrier. Apart from the isolation of not “fitting in”, women face sexist pranks, jokes, and derogatory comments from their male colleagues. According to a study that investigated problems faced by female pilots working in commercial airlines, one female stated that “It was easy for the male flight crew to isolate you. They would tell each other really disgusting jokes, which were meant to exclude you.” (Davey & Davidson, 2000). With men purposely excluding and isolating women utilizing deliberate microaggressions, it puts women in a conflicting environment where women don't want to be excluded in their workplace because they’re not able to “take a joke,” but women also don't want to switch their personal morals and values just to fit in with the flight crew. This work culture ultimately contributes to all women feeling like outsiders, unsafe, and unsupported in their profession. Female professional pilots may be hesitant to advocate for themselves in fear of their behavior getting worse, retaliation, or a more intense sense of isolation. If these microaggressions are not reported or addressed, it creates a cycle where this behavior is normalized and accepted. This only furthers the sense of isolation. Women won’t feel welcomed or encouraged to join the field of airline transport pilots, and this continues to strengthen the established negative work culture.

Conforming to Traditional Masculine Tendencies
In the aviation industry, there are a wide variety of roles, a key one of which is a pilot. The profession and training are rigorous, which requires a great deal of bravery. However, for women in this profession, it can be interpreted as having to adopt a certain personality, disposition, or practices to fit in with the majority of other pilots. In order to “fit in,” women must be able to be one of the “boys”, must be tough, thick-skinned, and have the ability to endure sexist, homophobic, and racist comments. The results of a study that analyzed the experiences of women in commercial aviation illustrated that female pilots have not changed the culture, but had to conform to traditional masculine values and practices (Davey & Davison, 2000). Being a professional pilot as a woman means your workplace is built on male standards and traditions.

Masculine traits have a strong hold on this profession. The work culture in this profession for women is having to conform to male norms, therefore only increasing the long-established work culture, which is a barrier to women advancing in the field. Women may feel the need to put on a facade or fake personality at work just to please their colleagues, which may eventually affect retention, and creates another cycle effect of no role models to assist new incoming women pilots. Having the support and respect of your peers in such a rigorous, demanding career is essential for the advancement of women in this profession. Without guidance it continues to support a negative work culture that demoralizes women.

Conclusion
While women have made advancements in this profession throughout the years, the barriers women face in the field of aviation, such as isolation, microaggressions, and lack of supportive resources, affect further growth within the industry. Latina and Black women are both significantly underrepresented and face very similar discrimination in this field. Equality in this field of work is crucial because all individuals should have a fair chance to become professional aviators without enduring persistent racism and sexism. Without improvements made to the negative work culture, the discrimination and divide that women and minorities endure as airline transport pilots will continue. With the statistics and personal testimonies from women in this field presented, readers have now been exposed to the deep divide between men and women in this profession and what needs to be accomplished to reach equality for airline transport pilots.

References

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Fern谩ndez, W., Ruiz, J. S., & Fields of Firsts Foundation, I. (2022). Latinas in aviation : stories of passion, power, and breaking into the aviation industry (Maryland Edition.). Fig Factor Media, LLC.

Zirulnik, M. L., & Orbe, M. (2019). . The Howard Journal of Communications, 30(1), 76鈥�91.

Kraus, T. (2024). . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA History Office.

Davey, C. L., & Davidson, M. J. (2000). . Feminism & Psychology, 10(2), 195鈥�225.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics.
Federal Aviation Administration. (2023) Timeline of FAA and Aerospace History.

Germain, M.-L., Herzog, M. J. R., & Hamilton, P. R. (2012). . Human Resource Development International, 15(4), 435鈥�453.

Opengart, R., & Germain, M.-L. (2018). . Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(3), 331鈥�344.