Defence News
Capturing the skies! Indian Air Force has the most number of women pilots in the world
Breaking the stereotypes, serving the country, and living their dreams – that is what the women in the Indian Air Force are doing today in the defence sector.
India now has the most number of women pilot in the Air Force. Last month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said India recently recorded the maximum numbers of women pilot in the world.
“India is the country with the maximum number of women pilots in the world, be it in Air India or Indian Air Force. This is a testimony of the contribution made by women to the aviation sector and also by the country to their careers”, Sinha said.
The presence of women has contributed to the progress of the aviation sector, the minister observed as he lauded the women pilot in the country for their achievements during a gathering at the golden jubilee celebrations of India Women Pilots Association. The first-ever woman pilot to fly solo a Mig-21 Bison was Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi.
She flew the fighter jet solo in Jamnagar. Chaturvedi is one of the three women pilots of the first batch, besides, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh inducted into the Air Force squadron on June 18, 2016.
It was in October 2015 that the Government took the decision to open the fighter stream for women. Meanwhile, combat roles in the Army and the Navy are still off-limits for women, due to a combination of operational concerns and logistical constraints.
On December 16, 2017, two women from the second batch to enter the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force were commissioned after graduating from the Air Force Academy, Dundigul. It was only in 1992 that the armed forces began recruiting women to streams, other than the M=medical stream.
