Will Complete Training And Enter Regular Pilot Rotation In Two To Three Years, Airline Says

Two women have joined the ranks of pilot candidates for Singapore Airlines for the first time.

The Jakarta Post reports that the women were tapped during a round of hiring last August, and their training is expected to last between two and three years in Singapore and Australia. After training is complete, they will be added to the regular rotation of pilots flying for the carrier.

A spokesman for SIA confirmed the hire, but did not say that any specific target for female pilots has been set. "We will recruit whoever is the most qualified," spokesman Nicholas Ionides said.

The airline is the last Singapore carrier to hire women pilots, and may be the last major global carrier to do so. Among Singapore carriers, women make up less than one percent of the total pilot population, according to the report.

Captain Ng Thim, president of ALPA-Singapore, told the paper that the decision is a good one. "Times have changed. With flexible rostering and other tools in place, pilots can now have better work-life balance," he said.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.singaporeair.com