British Airways to spend £6million a year in a bid to boost diversity among its pilots

BRITISH Airways will spend £6 million a year to increase diversity among its pilots.

The airline will cover the £100,000 it costs to train each of the 60 applicants each year.

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Candidates will no longer be judged on their academic results and whether they can pay for their own education.

Simon Cheadle, director of flight ops at BA, said: “We encourage everyone from lower socioeconomic groups to pursue their dream of becoming a pilot.”

Only six percent of professional pilots are women.

BA Senior First Officer Hannah Vaughan, 32, said: “Funding pilot training makes the job accessible to everyone.”

She added: “My friends are all talking about it. It’s fantastic that we all have this opportunity.”

The 17-year-old student Priyesh has gained professional experience at the BA and dreams of a career as an aviator.

“That’s all I want to do,” she said.