Under blue skies and the sounds of flight training aircraft overhead, an Ontario "Girls Can Fly" event welcomed record crowds on Saturday — an initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation of female aviators in an industry where fewer than 10% of commercial pilots are women.
The event, which offered free flights to young girls and the chance to interact with female role models in aviation, arrives at a crucial time.
Young girl takes flight (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Canada/Natasha Lair-McKenty)
As The Guardian recently reported, more than 90% of pilots globally are still men — a statistic that has barely budged in decades.
Cultural barriers persist, and women often face surprise or patronizing remarks from passengers. For instance, being greeted with blunt amazement, “Oh, you’re a woman!”
Events like Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre's Girls Can Fly challenge these perceptions and provide young women with role models in aviation. By offering hands-on experiences and one-on-one access to successful female pilots, they inspire more girls to pursue careers in the skies.
Despite initiatives aimed at narrowing the gender gap in aviation, women make up only 6% of pilots, with the number even lower for captains.
“Oh, you’re a woman!”
For female mentors, witnessing a new generation of girls light up while touring flight decks and tarmacs filled with static aircraft motivates them.
Girls Want to Fly
“I thought pilots were always boys until I came here last year,” said a 12-year-old attendee, who took her second discovery flight at the Mother's Day weekend event. “I want to fly for real.”
Organizers say this year’s Girls Can Fly had the highest turnout in recent years. These events include educational exhibits, flight simulators, one-on-one access to commercial pilots, flight instructors, and engineers — all women.
The gender gap in aviation stems from a complex mix of cultural expectations, lack of early exposure, and industry biases, with female pilots reporting being mistaken for flight attendants or questioned about their capabilities.
But Girls Can Fly is one of several Canadian efforts to rewrite that script.
Elevate Aviation and the Northern Lights Aero Foundation were established in Canada to promote gender balance in the aviation industry through mentorship, scholarships, and outreach.
Women Soar on Commercial Airlines
Porter Airlines female pilots, with young aspiring pilot, at annual 'Girls Can Fly' event (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Canada/Natasha Lair-McKenty)
While waiting in line for a tour of the Porter Airlines Dash 8-400 aircraft stationed on the busy tarmac, a female employee shared insights into how the airline is actively redefining leadership and inclusivity in aviation.
Porter Airlines Dash 8-400 at WWFC Girls Can Fly event (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Canada/Natasha Lair-McKenty)
Porter takes hiring, inspiring, and supporting female success seriously, she said — not just in the flight deck, but across the company. She shared that diversity is also a core value at Porter, which proudly holds the highest ratio of women pilots among Canadian carriers.
"Something Clicks"
It's within these events and outreach that the seeds are planted, which could change everything.
According to the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre, there's been a noticeable increase in enrollment from young women in recent years — a trend they attribute directly to outreach programs that make aviation more visible and accessible.
“When girls see someone like them in the pilot’s seat, something clicks,” one organizer said. “They start to believe they can fly too.”
As more doors open and more role models take to the skies, the once-narrow flight path is finally (hopefully) widening for women in aviation.
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