Syeda Salva Fatima is a 34 year old first woman commercial pilot from Hyderabad’s old city. She has taken to the skies in a two-seater Cessna. However, she navigates global air traffic on an Airbus 320 and has reached 550 flying hours.
She is one among the few Muslim women in India to hold a Commercial Pilot License (CPL). She always wore the hijab during her training for which she was appreciated not only in India but also abroad.
Syeda Salva Fatima life
Fatima is a daughter of a bakery employee Syed Ashfaq Ahmed. Fatima had to grow-up in poverty stricken household in Moghalpura, old city. Due to financial problems, she studied at Neo School Aizza, Malakpet. The school principal Alifia Hussain, sponsored her education for two years. Later she completed her intermediate course from St. Ann’s junior college, Mehdipatnam.
Fatima never allowed poverty to hinder her success. She tells that she had a dream of becoming a pilot since childhood. After passing 12th, she enrolled herself for engineering entrance exam coaching. There she was asked about her dream. Immediately she expressed that her dream was to become a pilot.
Fatima got admission in Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy in 2007. She got the license of Commercial Pilot, Private Pilot & Flight Radio Telephone Operator after five years of rigorous training.
Throughout the training, Fatima flew 200 hours on a Cessna 152 and 172 including her 123-hour solo flight. But this was not enough to fulfil her dream. She now had to get training in big aircraft like Boeing or Airbus where she required 30-35 lac rupees to be spent on this training.
Later, the Telangana government came forward to help. The government sanctioned Rs.36 lakh for her training in New Zealand. During her training in New Zealand, Fatima flew a multi-engine aircraft for 5 hours and trained on a simulator for 10 hours. She then qualified type-rating on Airbus at the Gulf Aviation Academy in Bahrain.
Presently, Fatima is working in Indigo Airlines. Elated Fatima says that she had definitely dreamt of becoming a pilot, but was never sure that this dream would even come true.
Syeda Salva Fatima’s life serves as an inspiration to not only the Muslim community but also every Indian girl who faces problems in life.
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