Look at this Muslim girl, she can fly planes

Taiba Afroz is not just a pilot; she's a beacon for every Muslim girl who is told to shrink their dreams

Taiyba Afroz created history by becoming a commercial pilot. The Muslim girl hails from a modest family. Her father Motiul Haq runs a ration shop in the Madhoura locality in the Saran district of Bihar and her mother Samsun Nisha is a homemaker.

Despite such challenges, Taiyaba remained determined to achieve her dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

Taiyaba's Journey

Her journey began in 2019 when she joined the Government Aviation Training Institute in Bhubaneswar. There she logged 200 grueling flight hours, battling storms, monsoons, and self-doubt.

Taiyaba's training was marathon-2-3 years of theory exams (scoring 70%+ in DGCA papers), simulator drills, and mastering the art of safe landings.

"Flying solo for 100 hours was terrifying but fear never griped my mind," she recalls.

Also Read: Weaver’s daughter on path to becoming Malegaon’s first commercial pilot

Later, in 2023, she completed 120 hours of training at Indore Flying Club. After all this, Taiyaba finally obtained her license from the DDCA. She was certified to become a commercial pilot and can fly any commercial plane.

As a Muslim woman in a crisp pilot's uniform, Taiyaba faced catcalls: "Shouldn't she be in a Burqa?"

To this, she retorts: "The cockpit has no dress code. The aircraft doesn't care about your surname."

"A beacon for every Muslim girl"

A pilot's salary starts at ₹1.5 lakh," but that’s not the trophy, Taiyaba aimed to achieve. Her real achievement is being a Muslim girl, coming from a backward region of Bihar, hailing from a financially weak family. She endured all these odds and has come out with flying colors.

Her message is: “Look at this Muslim girl, she can fly planes.”

Taiba Afroz is not just a pilot; she's a beacon for every Muslim girl who is told to shrink their dreams. Her success story is a matter of pride as she inspires many young Muslim girls to follow her career path. She is a role model for them.

Also Read: People look at me in disbelief, says India’s only Muslim woman pilot

Taiyaba’s achievement testifies that with perseverance and determination, any goal can be achieved.

Her story screams that; the sky is not the limit, it's the beginning.

[The writer, Syed Ali Mujtaba, is a Journalist. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.]

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.