News Japan to eliminate height requirement for female pilots

Following policy revisions announced by the transport ministry, women under 158 centimetres in height will now have the opportunity to train at Japan's national pilot training institute.

In addition, a special admission quota for the Civil Aviation College will be introduced, with selection primarily based on interview performance.
These changes, unveiled on 21 February, were developed by a working group focused on advancing the roles of female pilots and aircraft mechanics. Established in October, the task force comprises aviation experts and industry professionals.

Among the 7,270 pilots employed by Japan's major airlines, only 142 are women, representing a mere 1.9 per cent. This figure is significantly lower than the 6.1 per cent average for the Asia-Oceania region and the global average of 4.7 per cent. In response, the ministry aims to increase the proportion of female pilots to 10 per cent within the next decade.

"The modest percentage of female aviators across the industry can largely be attributed to the low rate of women at the Civil Aviation College," the working group noted in reference to the fact that the school produces 40 percent of all pilots in Japan. Of the 108 students who joined the college last year, only six were women. The working group took special note of the school's 158-cm height limit as a reason. Not only must applicants be at least 158 cm tall, they also have to pass tough tests in the advanced Mathematics III category, high-school-level physics and other science subjects. The committee concluded that the enrollment requirements discourage women from studying at the Civil Aviation College, as private universities with pilot educational courses and airlines do not impose such prerequisites.

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As long as they can reach the rudder pedals, I don't see the issue. All they need do is where very high platform shoes or perhaps, tie blocks of wood to the rudder pedals. Do commercial plane seats move backwards and forwards like car seats?

That was an interesting video! A brief Google research revealed that few legislations/militaries have minimum height requirements ("as long as you can reach the pedals").

Historically, the U.S. Air Force had height requirements ranging from 5'4" to 6'5". However, in 2020, these were replaced with an anthropometric screening process to accommodate a more diverse pool of candidates. The U.S. Navy maintains height parameters between 5'2" and 6'5", with specific sitting eye height measurements.

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Indian Air Force: Aspiring pilots are required to have a minimum height of 162.5 cm (approximately 5'4").

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I would assume that pilot seats can be adjusted, too.