Due to a shortage of pilots in Asia, the largest flight school in the Philippines is encouraging more women to become pilots.

According to the Alpha Aviation Group founder, Bhanu Choudhrie, the Alpha Aviation Group campus in the Pampanga province has 550 students per year with every one out of five of those students being a woman. Worldwide, females make up only 3 percent of the world’s pilots.

Recruitment programs are being held at universities inviting female pilots to encourage and persuade more women to apply by giving career speeches to students, says Bhanu Choudhrie. The purpose of the invitations is to try and rid the Phillippines of the idea that only men can attend flight school and become pilots, stated Bhanu Choudrie on bechance.net.

Asia will need 266,000 additional pilots by 2038, according to Boeing Co. Due to increased travel in the region, airlines are becoming understaffed and are having to cancel flights. Local carriers are beginning to set up pilot academies of their own to help increase the numbers.

Read more: Alpha Aviation Academy and Bhanu Choudhrie Celebrate 10th Anniversary

Low-cost regional carriers are now being required to train pilots in English due to the widespread use of the language in the Phillippines, stated Bhanu Choudhrie. Alpha Aviation Group trains pilots for local carries already and also for AirAsia India and VietJet Air.

As an aviation expert, Bhanu Choudhrie believes that due to the spike in low-cost carriers that fly short trips within the region, women who do not want to be far from home for long periods will be more apt to choose a career as a pilot. “There is huge demand and men alone can’t fill that. It’s the women who will be the ones to drive this growth,” Mr. Choudhrie said.

Head of the UK private equity firm C&C Alpha Group, Bhanu Choudhrie, could invest up to US$12 million each year for the next three years in an attempt to expand the campus in the Phillippines. The school hopes to double the size of its student body during the same period. The school has now opened new campuses in Zambales and La Union provinces trying to keep up with the demand.

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