Wanaka Helicopters celebrates a significant increase in female enrolments this year. Women comprised 50% of the 2025 Diploma in Aviation intake – a huge equity milestone compared to international norms of less than 6%. This shift reflects Wanaka Helicopters commitment to encouraging, empowering, and advancing women in the industry.
The increase in female participation is part of a global movement towards inclusivity in aviation. Initiatives like the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 25by2025 campaign aim to increase female participation to 25% by the end of 2025. This is an ambitious goal considering that over the past 60 years the percentage of women has only risen one point per year, with helicopter pilot numbers lagging far behind aeroplanes. The New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation (NZAWA) has been instrumental in supporting our women through scholarships and mentorship programmes, They encourage young women to pursue aviation careers, but numbers remain low, around 3-5% in helicopters in the OECD, largely attributed to young women not seeing women aviators growing up . This view was shared by Brianna Curtis, Commercial Helicopter Pilot who says “I don’t think there are many (if any) barriers based solely on gender (now) that limit women getting into aviation, but…because there wasn’t the exposure to it to help make that decision.” She continued positively “…times have changed a lot … in my experience so far, aviation has been a welcoming, accepting and an overwhelmingly supportive industry for anyone to join, as I suspected it would be.” iata.orgnzawa.org.nz+5nzawa.org.nz+5aspeq.com+5
“Wanaka Helicopters is really proud to help more women become pilots,” says Peter Spencer-Bower, CEO, “We fund our own helicopter scholarship ($5000) and aeroplane ($2,000) scholarship exclusively for female candidates in each Diploma enrolment year.”
Early engagement and strong school and community connections help us showcase aviation as a rewarding and attainable career path for young women planning their futures. Online sessions, school visits, and scheduled in-person Diploma information sessions (typically taking place Sep-Oct), provide aspiring female pilots the chance to learn more about the industry and speak directly with our pilots and educators.
Educational initiatives such as the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) “School to Skies” and the Scout’s Walsh Memorial Flying school are playing an increasing role in getting young Kiwi women into this growing industry according to programme application data. These programmes offer women hands-on experience in aviation and open up new pathways at a time when pilots, instructors, and flight-support staff are in high demand. Their efforts are stymied by outdated student loan policy restrictions which don’t recognise women as an underrepresented group and aren’t formulated to support the one-on-one training essential to flight instruction. nzdf.mil.nz+1nzdf.mil.nz+1nzdf.mil.nz
Wanaka Helicopters and our successful trainee pilots have raised awareness in the industry and continue to build a positive, inclusive environment for female trainees. It will, however take new and concerted efforts by Aviation Industry bodies and the Ministry of Education to make this year’s intake the norm rather than the exception supporting our domestic and international women pilots.
The positive trend in female enrolments is encouraging and it has been great to see the increase in female applicants over the last 12 months not only in the Diploma, but in private training for women deciding it was time for a career change like Marema Johnson. “It’s not that women aren’t capable or interested, it’s that we haven’t always been encouraged or shown that this path can be for us as well. Representation matters, and change starts with visibility and support” Marema says. We are committed to continuing our efforts to support and attract more women to our aviation programs. By highlighting the successes of our current female students and the opportunities available, we hope to inspire the next generation of women to pursue careers in aviation.
Applications for the 2026 Diploma in Aviation programme are now open. We encourage aspiring female aviators to apply and join a community that values diversity, inclusivity, and excellence in aviation training. For more information visit https://wanakahelicopters.co.nz/flight-training/
