Japan struggles to boost share of female airline pilots

While the Japanese government aims to raise the share of female pilots from only two pct as of 2024 to 10 pct by the end of 2035, achieving that goal remains a challenge.

According to the transport ministry, the age distribution of pilots is skewed toward those in their 50s and older, and the number of retirees is expected to increase sharply from around 2030.

In 2025, the ministry formulated measures to increase the number of female applicants to the Civil Aviation College, the country's only public pilot training institution, which produces about 40 pct of commercial airline pilots.

In response, the college, based in the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki, removed the admission requirement that applicants be at least 158 centimeters tall from the entrance examination for fiscal 2026.

From fiscal 2027, the college will drop several science subjects from its entrance exam.

The ministry also plans to introduce, around fiscal 2027, a new admission track at the college based primarily on document screening and interviews rather than a written exam.

The track will cover 30 of the 108 available slots, with 20 reserved for women.

However, the college has decided to postpone the introduction of the women's quota system until fiscal 2028 or later, as it is currently addressing delays in flight training caused by the expansion of enrollment capacity in 2018.

The ministry will now consider an admissions system that also takes fairness into account.

"If the population decline continues, men alone will not be able to meet demand," a ministry official said.

"We want more women to pursue careers as pilots."