Up above the world so high...

...Captain Ayesha Rabia Naveed pilots a commercial jet with an all-woman crew. And earns a feather for Pakistan International Airlines

BY A CORRESPONDENT
January 28, 2006

Those of us Indians who tend to think of Pakistani women as suppressed Mukhtaran Mais, please read the following carefully.

An all-women crew led by captain Ayesha Rabia Naveed created aviation history in Pakistan on January 25, when they flew a PIA Fokker from Islamabad to Lahore, with 40 passengers on board. TalkingTarmac cheers the spirit of Captain Ayesha, who sets an example for not just Pakistani women, but also for women in India and across the world.

Both the pilot (Ayesha) and the co-pilot (Sadia) of the Fokker flight were women. Till now, whenever women were "manning" the plane, there was always a male presence on board. Not this time.

Until the PK-263 flight kissed the Lahore Allama Iqbal airport tarmac, none of the passengers were aware that an all-woman crew was flying the Fokker. On touchdown, many passengers were pleasantly surprised to see the airport officials waiting with garlands and big smiles. Passengers said that the flight was smooth as silk. Women passengers were proud of the record-setting flight just completed.

“I think PIA should have made this occasion a special one by boarding all female passengers as well. I must tell my family in Islamabad that women no more look after the kitchen only. This is indeed encouraging for our girls,” a housewife was quoted as telling the Pakistani newspaper Dawn. Some passengers even walked up to the captain to congratulate her.

Captain Ayesha is the only woman pilot of the Pakistan International Airlines. She has been with the PIA for over 15 years, and has over 6000 flying hours behind her. Captain Ayesha is also an official of Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (PALPA).

Ayesha got her commercial pilot licence when she was only 17. Her father used to fly planes as a hobby, which the daughter picked up soon enough. She had an uncle who was a PIA captain. Ayesha’s brother is also a PIA captain. She joined PIA as a cadet pilot in 1989. She initially flew a Fokker F-27 as first officer. During her long stint wth PIA, she has also flown the Airbus 300 and the Boeing 747.

Ayesha Rabia Naveed's first solo flight was in 1974 on a Cessna, after getting her flying licence from the Lahore Flying Club. Due to restrictions on women pilots during Pakistan's martial rule in 1980, her selection as a cadet pilot was delayed by several years. But Ayesha wouldn't give up her career with the big birds, and joined a course in air traffic control with the Pakistan's civil aviation authority. Later, when the martial law was lifted, Ayesha again faced problems with her selection as a commercial pilot due to confusion in the country's aviation policy. Ayesha was determined to continue with PIA and picked up a marketing course, to join PIA as a sales promotion officer in its marketing department. When others in her flying batch felt it was demeaning to work in marketing, the gutsy lady refused to take her eyes off the skies.

Fortune, they say, favours the brave. Luck came Ayesha's way in 1989 when the aviation policy was revised. She was selected as first officer on a F-27. After putting in 500 flying hours on the F-27, she was promoted to the Boeing 737 and later, the Airbus A300. She obtained her Airline Transport Pilot’s License in 1998. In 1999, Ayesha became the first Pakistani woman to fly the four-engine, 400 tonne Boeing 747.

Last year, Ayesha was asked to start on training as captain. On October 21, 2005, she became the first woman captain in the history of Pakistan, commanding a Fokker plane. Though she had flown several domestic and international flights before, her first flight as captain was from Karachi to Turbat and Gwadar and back to Karachi.

Captain Ayesha has the greatest regard for the PIA establishment, and claims that the entire PIA organisation is like a family. She had earlier described the 747 touchdown at Kennedy Airport as her most-cherished flying moment. Now, after captaining the commercial PIA flight with an all-women crew, she has added another feather to her flight cap. And done PIA proud too.

Men, move over!