Record Growth in Women Pilots Celebrated at Turkish Airlines Flight Academy

Türkiye – Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA), the ab initio pilot training arm of Turkish Airlines, has highlighted that Turkish Airlines has achieving a significant increase in the number of female pilots over the past 20 years. The announcement was made during the dual graduation ceremony of the 130th and 131st squadrons at Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA).

• Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş emphasized that female pilots now make up 9% of all TAFA graduates, compared to less than 5% in many airlines worldwide
• Among 560 current cadets, 73 are women, indicating continued momentum in narrowing the gender gap in aviation
• The minister highlighted aviation pioneers like Bedriye Tahir Gökmen, Türkiye’s first female pilot, as inspirations for today’s graduates
• Turkish Airlines Chairman Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat reiterated the importance of TAFA’s female graduates in achieving the airline’s growth ambitions
• TAFA CEO Fatih Ünalan confirmed that the share of women in TAFA’s student body has reached 13%, and expressed a vision for further increases

Source: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy