LONDON: British Airways has recently released its Gender Pay Gap figures. The airline’s statistics show that the median hourly pay difference between men and women is 10 per cent, compared to the national average of 18.1 per cent*.
The airline’s median bonus pay difference is -19 per cent, which, using this calculation, means that the bonus pay gap favours women.
Of British Airways’ workforce 46 per cent of employees are female and 54 per cent are male. The airline employs women in many areas that traditionally have been male-dominated, including pilots, engineering and roles within the ramp team, such as baggage handling and aircraft loading.
British Airways recognises there is more work to do on gender pay balance; one area of focus is its pilots, who attract high levels of pay and are overwhelmingly male. When pilots are excluded from the calculations, the pay gap favours women by one per cent.
British Airways has been recruiting female pilots for more than 30 years and the percentage of female flight crew at the airline is six per cent, double the national average of around three to four per cent. The airline recognises that there is a gender imbalance within its pilot community and is working to address this in part through greater visibility of its female pilots to inspire the next generation.
British Airways employees including female pilots visit schools, colleges and recruitment events to inspire girls and women to take up a career in aviation, and to enter roles in engineering and flight operations. Female role models are used in recruitment campaigns and media activity. The airline will continue to recruit female managers into a new mentoring programme.
Earlier this month, to celebrate International Women’s Day, British Airways invited school girls to take part in an all-female operated flight, highlighting the airline’s female flight planners, ground staff, baggage handlers, flight dispatchers, engineers and pilots. More than 60 British Airways female staff took part in the event.
British Airways confirmed that pay for the majority of its workforce, including pilots, cabin crew, engineers, airport workers and call handlers is collectively agreed, so therefore men and women receive the same pay for these roles.
Maria da Cunha, British Airways’ Director of People and Legal said: “We are pleased with the progress that we are making in encouraging diversity within our organisation, but we’re not complacent – we know that there is work to do to encourage more women into STEM roles, and specifically into our pilot community. We are fully committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve and to promote an inclusive and collaborative culture.” News Desk
