Qantas and Jetstar Airways celebrate International Women’s Day this week in a very unique way. Throughout this week, starting the 3rd to the 9th of March, 50 flights on these airlines will be run by women. Over 250 female pilots, cabin crews, engineers and airport and operations team members will run 20 routes in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. This is one of the many initiatives by the Qantas Group to get more women into the aviation industry.
The first flight has already taken off earlier this morning. A Jetstar flight from Adelaide Airport took off early on the 3rd of March, heading towards Sydney International Airport. A variety of other flights will follow for the rest of this week. These include Sydney International to Hobart Airport, Brisbane to Geraldton Airport, Cairns to Melbourne Airport, and many others. There are also international flights planned from Tokyo Narita International to Fukoaka Airport.
Captain Lizzie Archibald, Jetstar’s Senior Manager of Flying Operations, stated that the all-female crews highlight the exceptional talent women bring to the industry. She added:
Today’s flights are such an important moment to showcase to young girls and women all the different career paths aviation can offer, including pilots and engineers. This week is an opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions of women to the world of aviation everyday.
There is still a lot of work to do, as men still count for the majority of pilot and engineering careers. The Australian Broadcast Corporation states that just 10% of the country’s pilots are female. This is still higher than the world average of 4%-6%, but it still needs improving. Qantas Group are working hard to change this, with their Pilot Academy having doubled the number of scholarships to 20 for female and First Nation students.
Women made up 20% of the apprentice intake to the Qantas Group Engineering Academy. Women also made up a record 35% of Jetstar’s 2025 engineering graduates. This is an important step forward for women in the aviation industry. It shows the Qantas Group’s willingness to bridge the gender gap in piloting and engineering careers. This is also a good indicator to show that women are more welcome in the industry than ever before.
