There are very few female pilots flying for Australia’s airlines so when passengers express their surprise at hearing Michaela Ripa’s voice from the cockpit, she loves to own the fact she’s the youngest female pilot working for a major airline. The Jetstar pilot is among the 6 per cent of licensed pilots in Australia who are women.
“Absolutely I’m proud. It’s always been a goal since I was a kid. I’m still taking it all in ... this is amazing,” Ripa said. Ripa, now 28 and living in Adelaide, has been preparing to become a pilot since she was 15 years old, taking on subjects including physics and maths in high school to make it happen.
In 2016, she got into a Jetstar pilot cadetship program and began flying in a two-seater aircraft. She then progressed to a flying a twin-engine plane and by the end of 2023, was captain on Jetstar planes flying people to interstate and international destinations.
