Air travelers are less likely to trust female pilots at the control of an aircraft in comparison to their male counterparts, a new UK survey suggests.
Around 51 per cent of the nearly 2,400 people surveyed said they did not trust a female pilot, while just 14 per cent said they would feel safer with a woman.
While 25 per cent of the people said the gender of the pilot did not matter, nine per cent said they were “unsure”, the ‘Telegraph’ reported.
As many as 32 per cent of those who proffered a male over a female, said “male pilots are more skilled”, while 28 per cent of them questioned the ability of female pilots to handle pressure.
Among those who preferred to see a woman at the control of an aircraft, 44 per cent said men were “too hot-headed in a crisis”, while a quarter said men might be “too easily distracted”.
All the people surveyed had taken a flight in the last one year, the report said.
“To see that more than half would be less likely to trust a female pilot was absolutely astounding,” said Chris Clarkson, managing director of UK based travel site Sunshine.co.uk, which undertook the survey.
“Clearly, many Britons have stereotypes that they need to get rid of,” said Clarkson.
Source: Economic times