Dhaka: The story of Bayan Al Turabi, Emirates Flight Training Academy’s (EFTA) first international cadet pilot to graduate, is one that celebrates women in aviation, and highlights the importance of female role models.

Bayan’s inspirational journey as a cadet at the Emirates Flight Training Academy is a story of determination and success, and a testament of a ‘dream come true’. Watch here as Bayan shares her personal story and credits her sister (also a certified pilot) for giving her the confidence to look at a career in aviation. Growing up in Bahrain, Bayan lived in a house located between the airport and the sea, and that’s when her love story with travel and aviation began. Bayan’s family encouraged her and her siblings to aspire for, and achieve whatever they set their hearts on, telling them nothing is impossible.

When asked about why she decided to become a pilot, Bayan had this sentimental story to share: “From a very young age, I had an extreme urge of wanting to explore the world. Since I had never met a female pilot growing up, considering a career in aviation was never an option for me. Until I witnessed my sister fly a plane as a pilot for the first time, hearing her voice through the PA presented a new potential for me to combine my passion for travel, with an established career in flying. Seeing her earn her stripes along the way inspired and encouraged me to follow in her footsteps.”

“I hope that by sharing my story, I can encourage more young women to consider aviation as their careers too, or at least let them know that they can reach for their own dreams and blue skies, if they set their hearts and minds on it.”

On training at the Emirates Flight Training Academy Bayan said, “The training programme at EFTA is different, as we don’t only train on single-engine piston aircraft, but also on jet aircraft, which is something not found in most pilot training academies. In addition to the 6 fully-motioned simulators, which provide you with a realistic experience of flying an actual plane, the EFTA instructors also give us tremendous support as they guide us through our trainings, shape our skills, and prepare us as up-and-coming Captains in the long run. I have also developed lifelong friendships with my cadet colleagues, extending beyond the walls of the academy.”

Talking about Bayan Capt. Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President of Emirates Flight Training Academy said, “EFTA is proud that our first international student to graduate is a very competent young female aviator. Bayan is smart, ambitious and diligent. I believe she has a promising future and lots of potential to contribute to the aviation industry. The reality is that the world is facing a worldwide shortage of pilots.”

Located in Dubai South, the Emirates Flight Training Academy was launched by Emirates in 2017 to qualify UAE nationals and international students to become pilots. The Academy combines cutting-edge learning technologies and a modern fleet of 27 training aircraft to train cadets with no previous knowledge of flying.