Meet the 26-year-old Easyjet captain and her teenage co-pilot

They have a combined age of just 45, but Captain Kate McWilliams, 26, and her co-pilot, Luke Elsworth, 19, have flown hundreds of passengers to their destinations this week, according to CNN. PHOTO: @ICETRENDS/ TWITTER
Kate McWilliams from Easyjet is the world's youngest commercial pilot at 26. PHOTO: AVIATION LOVERS OF NEPAL/ FACEBOOK

They have a combined age of just 45, but Captain Kate McWilliams, 26, and her co-pilot Luke Elsworth, 19, have flown hundreds of passengers to their destinations this week, according to CNN. Among the routes was a flight from London to Malta.

Captain McWilliams had earlier passed a course to become captain. Her employer, British carrier Easyjet, believes she has become the world's youngest commercial airline captain, while her co-pilot Elsworth is one of the country's youngest co-pilots.

According to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, only 450 out of the 130,000 airline pilots worldwide are female.

Captain McWilliams has urged more women to join her ranks.

"I would strongly urge females interested in aviation to think about pursuing a career as a pilot, and any existing pilots to push themselves to become a captain".

She first became interested in planes after attending an air show at age four, before joining the air cadets when she was 13 where she "got plenty of flying experience".

She added: "I didn't imagine a career in commercial aviation as I didn't know any commercial pilots who I could ask for advice. I never even thought it could be an option available to me."

Captain McWilliams, who is based at London's Gatwick Airport, began a CTC Aviation training course, and two years later started working as a co-pilot with Easyjet, reported CNN.

Ms Julie Westhorp of the British Women Pilots' Association said she hoped Captain McWiliams' achievement "inspires more women to consider pursuing a career in aviation".

"It clearly demonstrates to other young women that it is possible to succeed as a pilot in commercial aviation," she added.

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