New York Times Calls for End to All-Male, All- White Cockpit

The Times article asserts that there is not enough gender and racial diversity in the airline pilot industry.

QUICK FACTS:

• The New York Times is calling for more diversity amongst airline pilots, saying that it is the “end” of the all-white male cockpit.
• According to the Times, airlines started hiring women and people of color to fly passenger planes about half a century ago.
• Diversity in the industry has grown since it opened to more groups, but not as much as some would like.

Our flight deck should reflect the diverse group of people on board our planes every day. That’s why we plan for 50% of the 5,000 pilots we train in the next decade to be women or people of color. Learn more and apply now: https://t.co/VbOFvFOksB pic.twitter.com/r0ScH6MQAJ

— United Airlines (@united) April 6, 2021

DETAILS ON PILOT STATISTICS:

• Around 95% of airline pilots today are male and almost as many are white, according to the Times.
• Currently, there is a shortage of pilots, and some believe that more diversity in hiring could solve the issue, while others believe that the shortage is connected to the overall labor crisis.
• “The pilot shortage for the industry is real,” Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, told analysts and reporters on Thursday. “Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years.”

BACKGROUND:

• Recent years have seen a sharp uptick in racial diversity amongst pilots, Travel Noire claiming in 2020 that “Black Pilots Are Taking Over The Friendly Skies.”
• Some airlines, such as United, have launched an initiative to have 50% of their training programs be women or people of color.