Woman Empowerment: IndiGo Inducts Its First All-Woman Maintenance Technicians

IndiGo Airline inducted its first-ever all-woman batch of 33 maintenance technicians, a day before the National Engineering Day. 

The Airline said in a statement that it is a milestone in its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in its journey, adding that the initiative is a significant step forward in expanding representation and creating equal opportunities in technical roles across the aviation industry. 

The National Engineering Day is celebrated in India on September 15 to honour Sir M Visveswaraya on his birth anniversary. He was a renowned Indian engineer and statesman. He is known as the ‘Father of Indian Engineering’.

According to IndiGo, the engineering department plays a crucial role in maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability across the airline’s fleet of 400+ aircraft. 

It added that the new batch of all-woman technicians recently underwent a week-long induction programme that will contribute to the airline’s growth journey.

IndiGo’s workforce has over 44.8 per cent women employees and one of the highest numbers of women pilots worldwide.

Globally, women are under-represented in aviation’s technical roles, with aircraft maintenance having the lowest percentage at around 3.0% in 2021 and 2.6% in 2024. 

The proportion of women in aviation’s licensed technical roles (including pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians) rose from 4.5% in 2016 to 5.1% in 2021, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Earlier on August 14, 2024, IndiGo inducted 77 female pilots into its Airbus and ATR fleet, on the 77th Independence Day. The induction of 72 female pilots in the Airbus fleet and 5 in the ATR fleet marks a milestone in aviation history.

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