Payette lauds pilot who landed plane after midair explosion
Canada’s governor general says a Southwest Airlines pilot who landed her plane safely after a mid-air engine explosion is rightfully being called a hero and a role model to many.
Julie Payette told aviation officials Thursday that Capt. Tammie Jo Shults showed strength as she deployed years of training as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot to avoid greater injury.
“Everyone in the last two days, rightly so, said the pilot had nerves of steel, she was extraordinary,” the former astronaut said in a Montreal speech.
One person was killed and seven others were injured after the twin-engine Boeing 737 blew an engine at 30,000 feet Tuesday and got hit by shrapnel that smashed a window.
Media reports following the incident have drawn attention to the fact that Shults is a female pilot, in an industry still heavily dominated by men.
But Payette asked why anyone would be surprised that a woman who is extraordinarily well-trained could excel in the face of danger.
Alexandre de Juniac, director general of the International Air Transport Association, told the largely female luncheon audience that more needs to be done to address the severe underrepresentation of women in the industry, particularly at the airline association itself.
IATA is taking a small step in a few weeks with the appointment of its first female board member.
“I think that for our industry, hiring and promoting diverse talent will make us stronger, better and we’ll enjoy a much better business environment,” he said.
IATA says the percentage of female aviation executives lags other industries. Just three per cent of aviation CEOs were women last year, compared with 12 per cent in other sectors.
By contrast, about one-third of human resources directors are women, compared with 23 per cent in other industries.