Gráinne’s final landing after 33 years flying high

ENNIS woman Gráinne Cronin, who 33 years ago became Aer Lingus’ first female pilot, retired on Tuesday.
To mark her many years of loyal service to Aer Lingus, Captain Cronin made her final flight as an Aer Lingus captain with Captain Elaine Egan and First Officer Shelley Gahan on an Airbus A330 aircraft, operating flight EI 137 from Dublin to Boston. She is originally from New Road in Ennis, but now lives in Malahide, County Dublin.
Gráinne ’s career commenced in 1977 when she became the first female pilot at Aer Lingus. Her first flight was in January 1978, piloting a Boeing 737 aircraft. Of the experience, Gráinne  said, “It wasn’t easy, I have to say, entering such a male-dominated arena but Aer Lingus were very forward-thinking for the time, they were the second airline in Europe, after SAS, to introduce female pilots. British Airways did not hire any female pilots for at least a further seven or eight years. In 1978 and 1979, two more female pilots joined and we flew the flag for the female race for the next 10 years.”
Captain Cronin is the daughter of retired Aer Lingus Captain Felim Cronin, and her sister, Caroline, is also a commercial pilot. Her two daughters, Alana and Louisa Johnston, are carrying on the tradition of flying high, with both holding private pilot’s licences. Louisa has recently completed her training as a commercial pilot. “My husband is also a pilot, so ours was quite a chaotic household juggling long-haul flying schedules with the school run,” she added.
Despite the chaos of balancing her flying career with family life, Gráinne excelled at Aer Lingus and went on to become a captain operating the Shorts 360 aircraft. In 1988, having successfully received her command, she appeared on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show.
On August 2, 1988, the first all-female Aer Lingus crew operated a flight from Dublin to Shannon with Gráinne in command and First Officer Elaine Egan on board the airline’s landmark flight. Elaine is now also a captain and she joined Captain Cronin on her retirement flight on Tuesday.
Captain Davina Pratt, Aer Lingus chief pilot and director of flight operations, said, “We wish to thank Gráinne  for her loyal service to Aer Lingus and her dedication over the past 33 years. As the first female pilot for Aer Lingus, Gráinne  paved the way for many other women who went on to pursue careers as pilots.” There are currently 40 female pilots in Aer Lingus.