British Airways champions diversity with new pilot training fundsRunway Girl

FARNBOROUGH — British Airways’ groundbreaking Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet programme has provided fully-funded flight training for up to 100 candidates per year since 2023. Now BA is expanding its investment for next year’s class, giving up to 200 prospective pilots the chance to follow their dream of flying commercially without the worry of self-funding the £100,000 cost of training.

The carrier’s new £21 million investment for 2025, announced at the Farnborough Airshow, will provide life-changing opportunities to people who have been traditionally excluded from a pilot career due to financial barriers, in turn boosting diversity in the pilot community.

“The increase in capacity this year is testament to the quality of the applications in 2023 and that we continue to see in 2024,” Speedbird Pilot Academy project lead Guy Bowen explains to Runway Girl Network.

The high cost of training, including obtaining flight hours, has long been a barrier to entry for many prospective pilots across the globe. And women often face the additional challenge of having to balance work and family commitments.

BA shares the story of Melanie Odden, a current Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet from Hertfordshire. “I have been fascinated by aviation since I was young and becoming a pilot has been a lifelong dream of mine, with the aspiration to one day become a training captain. Unfortunately, there have been barriers preventing me from reaching these goals. I started in a different career path and have a young family, with my little one now being three years old,” she says.

“When British Airways announced that they would be providing funded spaces for students on their Speedbird Academy I had to apply. I never thought I would become one of the lucky few. I am now three months into my training and it still doesn’t quite feel real. It is hard work, and trying to juggle family life with study can be difficult, but I know it will be worth it and I am so grateful that British Airways is giving people a chance to realise their dreams without financial barriers.”

Removing the heavy financial burden of training should set more women on the path to successful pilot careers at the airline, and indeed ensure that more people from all backgrounds are represented.

Three women in the pilot training programme are standing in uniform in front of a British Airways aircraft

British Airways boasts that its percentage of women pilots is already higher than the national average. Some 6.6% of its 4,000 pilots are women compared to the 5% national average for the UK pilot workforce, according to a 2023 BA report. Image: Mary Doyle

As a woman in aviation, it’s pleasing to see British Airways demonstrate such inclusive leadership. But this pilot cadet programme is by no means its only diversity initiative.

The airline’s so-called Women’s Inclusion Network Group for Success (WINGS) has been established to help promote gender equality and representation.

Comprising female colleagues and male allies, WINGS aims to provide support and opportunities for women to develop their careers and inspire other women to pursue their development towards leadership roles.

BA has also created a new mandatory company-wide Inclusion and Diversity e-learning package to support education and awareness, focusing on bias and inclusive leadership.

The end result is that BA’s workforce is a more accurate reflection of the world we live in.

“Great pilots come from all backgrounds and it’s this diversity which brings us immense value, both for our customers and for our colleagues,” says the airline.