Jetstar has marked International Women's Day on March 8, 2024, with an initiative to operate special flights fully staffed by women, including pilots, engineers, cabin crew, ground staff, and flight operations.

The initiative was designed to challenge the traditional gender roles in the aviation industry, where globally, women account for only 3% of engineers and 4% of pilots.

While Jetstar sit slightly above the industry standard, with women making up 6% of engineering roles and just over 6% of pilots, the gender imbalance is still significant, and helps to account for a median base salary gender pay gap of 53.5% across the airline, according to WGEA figures.

Through the initiative, Jetstar hopes to raise awareness about the role of women in aviation and inspire more girls and women to pursue a career in the industry.

The special flights included a return flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast, a flight from Auckland to Dunedin, and a Qantas flight from Sydney to Melbourne. The initiative was.

The Qantas Group is actively working to increase the number of women in traditionally male-dominated roles through graduate and apprentice programs.

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully, said: "As a female CEO and mother of two girls, I'm passionate about encouraging more women to join the aviation industry, particularly to address the underrepresentation of women in pilot and engineering roles. I know there's more work to do and as an airline we're focused on increasing female representation in our graduate and apprentice programs, tapping into schools and breaking down gender stereotypes."

Sophie Connolly, First Officer at Jetstar, shared her personal journey into aviation. "Being a pilot wasn't even a thought. I think that's because I had never seen a female in a pilot's uniform. You can only be what you can see and because I had a stereotypical image in my head of a male pilot, it just never occurred to me. I first considered becoming a pilot when I was in Year 11 after seeing a news article about a shortage of pilots. My Dad bought me a joy flight over Melbourne and from that point on, I only ever wanted to be up in the air. I absolutely think that more girls and women should consider becoming a pilot, it has given me the opportunity to travel and meet amazing people. If piloting an aircraft isn't for you, then aviation is such an enormous industry and there are places for women everywhere."