India’s family support system is scripting a flying fairytale for women

Tanvi Raina, 25, always wanted to give wings to her dreams and fly, quite literally. But without support from the family, Tanvi knew she would remain grounded. And so when she went looking for that crucial support, her father, a veteran pilot himself, didn’t disappoint Tanvi. With the family by her side, Tanvi, a cheerful woman from Kashmir, went on to soar sky-high in her career.

Family support in the country has ensured Tanvi’s is not just a ‘feel-good news’ story. The same support system is propelling the dreams of many young women to touch the sky.

This, many of the women pilots say, is a key factor in making India the country with the highest number of women pilots across the world.

“Flying planes may seem like a glamorous gig, but it needs sensibility, support and spirit,” says Tanvi, an IndiGo pilot. “All these are key to becoming a good pilot.”

After studying at the Karnal Flying Club, Tanvi started flying commercially in 2013. She still remembers her first training flight from Ahmedabad to Delhi. Back then, her flying feat made her the youngest woman pilot of Kashmir where she is seen as a ‘path-breaker’.

“Since then, I’ve flown both domestic and international flights,” Tanvi says as she continues to enthusiastically talk about her flying experiences.

She remembers the time when hardly anyone was ready to hire this ‘rookie’. During that phase, Tanvi says, her family’s unshakable support and belief in her abilities helped her to keep the hope alive. Among anything else, they reinforced the belief that her gender doesn’t matter to her profession.

“I carry that strong mindset with me,” she says. “I believe there’s only one challenge which you have to decide about prior to joining the aviation sector: you have to fly any time.”
And this conviction has so far clicked for this young pilot who has flown planes during some difficult times and over tough terrains. “People actually applaud you when they come to know that there is a woman in the cockpit.”

Tanvi’s tribe is growing in India and many women are moving overseas, where they can get Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL) in just six months.

As per government of India’s data produced in Rajya Sabha, India has 15 per cent women pilots, which is highest in the world. As per reports, India has twice the number of women pilots compared to most western countries, including the US. Out of the total 17,726 registered pilots in India, 2,764 are women. As per the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, globally around 5 per cent of all pilots are women.

According to the Indian Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA), myriad training institutes in the United States result in high footfall in this sector. An official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that some 34 Flying Training Institutes in India are contributing equally to the cause.

“For a commercial license a pilot trains with 200 hours of flying and exams. It takes a pilot roughly around two years in India to complete the process,” an official informs. “Students, who come from abroad after getting trained in six months, have to clear three exams of DGCA and apply for the conversion flying license. If we come to actual time calculations, they will get their license in around one-and-a-half years. That is why we are far ahead of them.”

On an average, DGCA issues between 600 to 700 commercial pilot licenses in a year. “But since the last two years due to the Covid pandemic, very few pilots are going abroad for CPL,” he says.

According to ICPA, Indian women pilots are second to none. The road, however, is not easy for them as they face difficulties in flying when pregnant.

From four-and-a-half months, the DGCA has recently increased maternity leave for pilots to six months.

“The concern is that a pregnant woman pilot has do ground work rather than flying during her nine-month pregnancy to get paid. If they don’t come to office, they aren’t paid,” a senior ICPA member tells The Federal.

Many women pilots complained of complications during their pregnancy and so they are forced to take leave without pay, says an official.

“If there is any mishappening during the pregnancy, the DGCA should cover it under medical cover,” he adds.

According to the head of Indian Women Pilots’ Association, captain Harpreet A De Singh, one of the reasons why India has more women pilots is that the family structure in this part of the world is intact, and liberates women from many responsibilities at home.

“Unlike in India, there is no natural support system like a joint family elsewhere,” she says.
IWPA, a 50-year-old association, has equally played an important part in improving women’s presence in the aviation sector.

Unlike in India, there is no natural support system like a joint family elsewhere.

“We made several efforts in motivating the women, guiding and helping them,” the decorated captain adds. “Today, the challenges are the same for both men and women. But what is now left for women to achieve in aviation is rising towards the top like handling management in aviation.”

She also says that in foreign countries students can opt for examinations whenever they are ready, but here in India, they have to wait for the examination date.

The DGCA, however, has now come up with some flexible rules which are beneficial for aspiring pilots, she adds.

“In almost every airline, whenever a woman pilot goes on maternity leave, their basic salary is protected even though they are not paid an allowance. I think that is justified when a pilot is not flying.”

Another flying enthusiast and veteran female pilot, wanting to not be named, says that even traditional families are now open to flying careers for women and they play a huge role in taking care of the families while the women are away flying.

For Teena Goswami, a pilot from Ratlam town of Madhya Pradesh, aspirations of women in India have already crossed the barriers of social and economic class.

“I had never seen an aircraft physically until I reached the training school in Indore, but that didn’t stop me from aspiring to become a pilot,” says Goswami.

She is from a middle-class family and became an inspiration for many like her in the town.

“It is no longer the sector of the rich and the powerful. Everybody can aspire for it and there are avenues like easy bank loans which help fulfil your dreams,” she says.

Teena remembers during the two years of the pandemic, especially when the deadly second wave hit the country, her in-laws proved to be a great support for her children. “My husband and I are both pilots and we are frequently out flying. I used to be worried about my children that they shouldn’t go out or get infected. But the hard work of my in-laws who managed the during the pandemic was a great support,” says Teena. “It’s not easy to handle children. You can run out of patience but they were so cooperative and guided the children so well that later they were advising on others on precautions and preventive measures to be taken to avoid getting infected.”

Teena joined Air Sahara as a commercial pilot in 2005 after waiting over four years to get a job.

Currently, Teena flies a Boeing 737 to neighboring countries in the Middle East, South East Asia and domestic circuits as well.

“Earlier, people thought women would be a burden for an airline as they will get married and start families,” says Teena. However, things have changed now, after the government came up with flexible rules for expectant mothers.

“Yes, starting a family is now recognised as a right of women pilots,” says Teena, who herself has two sons aged seven and 11.

The airlines, she adds, don’t see women as a burden. “That attitude has changed now.”