Abstract

Historically, aviation was militaristic which supported the development of a masculinised culture in this industry and the notion of ‘built by men, for men’ thinking however this has created challenges modern day with gender underrepresentation and discrimination against females who wish to seek careers as commercial pilots. It has also created an organisational culture within the industry that is slow to adjust to change. Our study takes a narrative approach to exploring some of the lived experiences and barriers female pilots have faced when developing their own careers within the UK aviation industry. Using a small
qualitative sample of key informant interviews gathered from UK female pilots in 2024 we aim to make a recent contribution to literature on the challenges faced by women in the workplace and bridge the gap on the multifaceted considerations women face when attempting to establish careers in male dominated professions. We identify the areas where the industry needs to provide better support and advancement to attract and retain the next generation of employees within the aviation industry with every hope of the creation of a gender unequal culture.