Captain Vanessa Khaw, who once worked as Singapore Airlines Cabin Crew, now serves as a pilot and instructor for Scoot (TR). Her career transition followed time serving as a flight attendant, when cockpit visits during flights departing from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) sparked her desire to fly.
She began her aviation career in 2004 as a flight attendant with Singapore Airlines (SQ). After three and a half years in the cabin, she left the role to pursue flying full-time.
According to The Straits Times, she trained at Singapore Flying College and earned her commercial pilot license in 2009. She joined Tigerair in 2010 and continued with Scoot following the merger. She flies Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and recently became a flight instructor.
Becoming a pilot involved challenges, including family opposition, financial pressure, and multiple airline rejections. She used personal savings and family loans to fund her training.
Captain Khaw now mentors new cadets at Scoot. She serves as a role model for individuals aspiring to aviation careers.
Women account for 1.9% of the 3,245 pilots at SIA Group, which includes Singapore Airlines and Scoot, based on the 2023–2024 Sustainability Report. This percentage marks an increase from 1.6% in 2022–2023 and 1.4% in 2021–2022, aligning with Jetstar Asia (3K), where 2% of 128 pilots are women.
Globally, Singapore lags behind countries like India, where 14.4% of pilots were female in 2022–2023, and Qantas (QF) in Australia at 7.5%. Mabel Kwan, vice-president of the Singapore chapter of Women in Aviation, attributes the slower growth to limited awareness among young women about aviation careers and misconceptions about the profession.
Entry barriers in Singapore include training costs, which can total six figures. Aspiring pilots often need to train abroad, such as in the US, due to limited airspace in Singapore, adding to expenses. Singapore Airlines only began accepting female cadet pilots in 2016.
Senior First Officer Lim Wen Shan of Jetstar Asia also illustrates a path into commercial flying. She flew in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for 14 years before transitioning in 2019. She self-funded her commercial license conversion in the US at a cost of S$60,000, a less expensive option than cadet training from the start.
Regarding expectations in the cockpit, Captain Khaw states they are gender-neutral.
"Whether you’re male or female, you still have to meet the standards,” she says.
