The Experience and Performance of Female Airline Pilots in Taiwan - A Tripartite Assessment

Abstract

The pilot profession remains one of the most notable gender-imbalanced occupations in the aviation industry, with women making up a far lower percentage than men. Nevertheless, the experiences and challenges faced by female pilots in the workplace is worth exploring. Previous studies have mostly approached these issues from the perspective of male and/or female pilots, ignoring the opinions of managers responsible for flight operations. This study fills this research gap by adding flight operations managers' assessments of female pilots to explore the topic from a broader and comprehensive tripartite perspective. In addition, gender issues in the cockpit and the impact of female pilot participation are also discussed. The research is conducted through in-depth interviews covering flight operations managers, male pilots, and female pilots in three different Taiwanese airlines. The findings of this study reveal that the performance of female pilots is generally affirmed by flight operations managers and male pilots, and the participation of female pilots produces some chemical effects on the culture of the cockpit, which also contributes to crew resource management and flight safety. Contrary to previous research findings, the female pilots interviewed in this study do not feel that they are being challenged or abused in relation to their gender. Finally, several recommendations are given to the airlines to implement CRM training programs and recruit female pilots.