Meet Rachna Reiter

At the age of 7, Rachna Reiter decided to become a pilot. Today she is an experienced commercial airline pilot flying across Europe on the Airbus A320 for easyJet and a dedicated MBA-student of Aviation Management.

What inspired you to become a pilot?

When I was 7, my father traveled on a business trip and discovered that one of the pilots operating his flight was a female. He was very inspired by this and encouraged me to pursue a career in flying. As I was growing up, my interest in aviation grew and I started collecting information on how to become a pilot. During school every project had something to do with aviation. Once I had completed my schooling and my bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, I left for the United States to start my flight training.

In aviation, only 5% of pilots are female. Why is this still the case?

There still seems to be a misconception of a pilot being a ‘‘male job’’. Young girls often mention that it has never crossed their minds, or they think they do not have the right skills to become one. I strongly believe we need to showcase more female role models in a male-dominated industry. A role-model can be very powerful to motivate young girls. My daughter, for example, has no notion of a “male” or “female’’ job. Having seen her mother as a pilot she herself wants to be an astronaut, or at least pursue a career in the aerospace sector when she grows up.

What obstacles did you face in the aviation industry as a female pilot?

I think the biggest struggle was always to be taken seriously and having to convince that I was capable and knew what I was doing. Many times, I felt like I had to work harder to prove that I am capable of flying than my male colleagues. I felt the pressure of having to prove myself or else my mistakes would be blamed on me being a female.

What motivated you to start your MBA studies? What do you expect from this for your future career?

For a while, I have been thinking about doing a business study but I never really got the time during my flying as we do not have fixed schedule. The Covid-19 pandemic gave me an opportunity and the time to start with the MBA. Currently, I am in my last year and it has definitely opened up my perspective towards many things related to my career. In the past, I always saw myself as pilot first but now I think it would be very interesting to work behind the scenes of running a business in the aviation industry. This was also the objective of my study to understand the basics of managing an organisation. In the future, I would like to get take part in an organisation that is involved in sustainable aviation, while flying part-time.