For the first time in its nearly 100-year history, United Airlines has named a woman as its most senior active pilot.
Captain Chresten Wilson, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner captain, has reached the top of the seniority list among United’s roughly 18,000 pilots, becoming the airline’s most senior active pilot.
United highlighted the milestone as a significant moment as the airline approaches its 100th anniversary. Wilson’s achievement was also shared with passengers in a company video ahead of a flight to Melbourne.
Wilson began her aviation career as a flight engineer on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and later flew several aircraft types including the Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, and Boeing 777 before becoming a Dreamliner captain.
Women currently make up about 7.5% of pilots at United, while the figure across the United States aviation industry is around 7%. ✈️
