This is not hypothetical
Women already in the cockpit
Aviation has never lacked capable women. It has lacked visible ones. HKPAPA's Women in Aviation initiative exists to put female pilots in front of the girls deciding what to become — and to open the flight deck door for the women already deciding to walk through it.
Women make up around half the workforce.
Far fewer than half the flight deck.
The barrier is rarely aptitude. It's visibility, cost, confidence and the absence of anyone in the room who has already done it. Those are all solvable — and this initiative is how we solve them.
One-to-one guidance from female airline pilots within our membership — on training routes, cadet selection, finances, and the questions people are too polite to ask publicly.
Through our school programme, students get real cockpit exposure rather than a careers leaflet. For many girls it is the first time flying stops being hypothetical.
Female pilots speaking in classrooms and on camera, so the next generation sees the job done by someone who looks like them.
Access to a professional association of over 3,000 pilots and aviation professionals — the people who know when intakes open and what selection actually tests.
Curious about aviation but unsure whether it's realistic. Start with a simulator session or a discovery flight and find out properly.
Established in another profession and wondering if it's too late. It usually isn't — but the honest answer depends on your timeline and finances.
Already applying, and wanting preparation and mentorship from women who have been through the same selection process.
Every one of our programmes is open to women on identical terms. These are simply the most common places to begin.
Volunteer as a mentor or school speaker. An hour of your time is worth more to a fifteen-year-old than any brochure we could print.
Volunteer as a mentorBring female pilots into your school, or sponsor flight experiences for students who could not otherwise access them.
Discuss a partnershipTalk to someone who has already opened it.