The peeking interest of women in the aviation industry in recent years shows no signs of abating, with an increasing number of women in Türkiye and across the world demonstrating a strong desire to pursue a career in piloting and aviation-related jobs, according to reports.
Generally perceived as a male-dominated profession, the aviation industry now sees a remarkable number of females opting for jobs in the industry. According to a recent report by Anadolu Agency (AA), at least 329 female pilots are employees at the national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY).
One of these pilots is 38-year-old Belgin Ayhan, who chose to embark on the journey of being a pilot after working as a musician for a while. A graduate of the electronics and communication engineering department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Ayhan was working as a musician and applied for the training program offered by THY, after seeing an ad on social media.
Speaking to AA, Ayhan, who has been serving in long-haul flights since 2017 applied for the post after consulting her air traffic controller friend employed in the industry already. "Despite questions such as 'Is it a job that will keep me away from art or could I pursue both?' I eventually ended up applying for the post," Ayhan shared.
"I was accepted in the Turkish Airlines academy, and following the two-year pilot education program, I continue to fly Airbus 330-350," she added.
Ayhan shared that her family was initially surprised by her decision, but they eventually came round to support her. Ayhan further explained that her family thought, "If Belgin is determined to do this work, then she is definitely capable of succeeding."
Mentioning that she spends her spare time playing the flute and also continues to play in an orchestra of 35-40 at a fine arts school, Ayhan said that she enjoys being a pilot. "Piloting is like art. You lift the 250-ton plane, fly it and work on landing it safely. It's a very exciting process," she explained.
Sharing that she sometimes embarks on flights that can last up to 13 hours, Ayhan said that depending on which direction they are flying to and the position of the sun, it may feel that the flights are lasting even longer, but that they always ensure to take enough rest in between flights, so the next flight isn't compromised.
Meanwhile, another female pilot, working for THY, 35-year-old Pınar Çetin, noted she switched from cabin attendant to pilot.
Çetin, holder of a master's degree in marketing communication management stated she stepped into the cabin at the age of 22 and started to work in the cockpit after obtaining the required education program. Çetin shared that she was interested in aviation from an early age because her father was a technician at the airport.
Sharing that she applied for the flight attendant position with the guidance of her father, Çetin said: "It was a very nice feeling to be in the cabin. I always loved my job. I love communicating. I love being everywhere on the plane."
"It was a very enjoyable task for me to represent THY, our flag carrier company, all over the world for seven years," she added.
Çetin emphasized that being a pilot can be challenging due to the high levels of pressure and irregular sleep schedules. However, she also highlighted a positive aspect of the job, which is that pilots do not have to work every day at a fixed time, and sometimes they can take time off during weekdays.
Cherishing her family's support, with her father being particularly proud of her, Çetin opined that those who want to become a pilot will definitely achieve success if they show enough determination and patience during the process.
