Governor General calls Southwest Airline pilot a hero for showing nerves of steel

MONTREAL — Gov. Gen. Julie Payette says a Southwest Airlines pilot who landed her plane safely after a mid-air engine mishap is rightfully being called a hero.

Payette told aviation officials Thursday that Capt. Tammie Jo Shults showed nerves of steel as she deployed years of training as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot to avoid greater injury.

One person was killed and seven others were injured after the twin-engine Boeing 737 blew an engine at 30,000 feet Tuesday and got hit by shrapnel that smashed a window.

Media reports following the incident have drawn attention to the fact that Shults is a woman pilot, in an industry still heavily dominated by men.

But Payette asked why anyone would be surprised that a woman who is extraordinarily well-trained could excel in the face of danger.

Some industry observers say Shults will become a role model for women and prompt more to consider careers in aviation.

Alexandre de Juniac, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said at a Montreal luncheon that more needs to be done to address the severe underrepresentation of women in the industry.

The airline association is taking a small step in a few weeks with the appointment of its first female board member.

IATA says the percentage of female aviation executives lags other industries. Just three per cent of aviation CEOs were women last year, compared with 12 per cent in other sectors.

By contrast, about one-third of human resources directors are women, compared with 23 per cent in other industries.

Men dominate senior aviation executive roles around the world but women have a larger share of positions — about 15 per cent — in Europe and North America.