United Airlines is doing their part to diversify the aviation industry. The airline announced their commitment to training 5,000 pilots by 2030, half of whom will be women or people of color.
CBS News reports that across the American aviation industry, only 6% identify as women, and within that demographic, approximately 10% of them are Black, Asian, Hispanic, or Latino Americans.
United Airlines, which is the only major carrier in the U.S. to own a flight school, has one of the highest percentages of female pilots in the industry, with 7% identifying as women but still fall short in terms of diversity with a pilot pool comprised of only 13% people of color.
Part of the issue is cost. Flight school tuition averages $100,000. To help make the program more accessible to underrepresented groups, United is pledging $1.2 million for partial and full scholarships to undertake training. Financial institution and the airline’s credit card partner JP Morgan Chase has also committed an additional $1.2 million.
“We’re excited that JP Morgan Chase has agreed to support our work to diversify our pilot ranks and create new opportunities for thousands of women and people of color who want to pursue a career in aviation,” said United CEO Scott Kirby.
In addition to this news, United has also announced its partnerships with HBCUs to identify top talent and recruit them into the Aviate program, as reported by AfroTech. The institutions include Delaware State University, Elizabeth City State University, and Hampton University.
Learn more about United Aviate Academy‘s programs.