Here’s Why Twitter Is Celebrating These Two Female Pakistani Pilots

Captain Maryam Masood and First Officer Shumaila Mazhar are now social media legends

By: News Desk |
June 22, 2018 7:14 pm

Pakistan International Airlines is currently making headlines thanks to these two inspiring young women. The all-women team of Captain Maryam Masood and First Officer Shumaila Mazhar flew the arduous and often rocky mountain stretch from Islamabad to Gilgit and back, much to social media’s delight.

“The flight to Gilgit is very challenging and requires a lot of precision and technique. Our dynamic duo, Captain Maryam Masood and First Officer Shumaila Mazhar make it look so easy as they fly through the mountains celebrating the beauty of our northern areas! Way to go!!,” PIA tweeted from their official account. The tweet has since gone viral for all the right reasons.

The duo are not the first female-only team to command a flight on PIA however, but it’s nonetheless a momentous occasion in a field largely dominated by male pilots.

Twitter’s obviously ecstatic:

My daughter of 8, wants to become a pilot too. Long way to go but she will definitely make it one day.
What a proud moment for the captain, first officer and their parents.#PIA

— Asif Pasha (@Asif_Pasha_) June 21, 2018

Breaking the proverbial glass ceiling, and how:

This is wonderful! Great to see talented young women playing a bigger role in the organisation.

— Usman Ghani (@whousmanghani) June 21, 2018

There you go. Talent has nothing to do with gender, you see:

I’ve travelled with mariyam masood from gilgit to Islamabad. It was cloudy throughout but what a smooth flight it was!!! _ hats off to you you girl ___

— Momina Waheed (@mominawaheedpti) June 21, 2018

Sky sure is the limit:

Hats off ladies. Sky is the limit _

— ____ ____ (@BasheerNaagi) June 21, 2018

Woke human alert:

Wow. Good job. Great to know that. Role of women is essential for a nation’s development.

— QA (@Qamar_110) June 21, 2018

Okay then, looks like we all need to fly on this captain’s flight:

My daughter flew with this Captain and was full of praise for the smooth take-off, flight and landing.

— M Ali Chundrigar (@AliChundrigar) June 21, 2018