Looking up to her father who worked as a pilot in Pakistan, Khansa Ayyaz has always dreamed of taking to the skies.

The dream is getting closer to reality, thanks to the scholarships she received from Women in Aviation International, alongside other students from the Fanshawe College Norton Wolf School of Aviation and Aerospace Technology.

As a hijabi Muslim, Ayyaz had to break many false taboos to pursue her career ambitions.

In a country where male pilots outnumber female pilots 12 to one, according to the latest statistics from Transport Canada, Ayyaz hopes to inspire more women to pursue a career in aviation.

“This is like a dream for me. It’s my passion and I believe that women should be able to do anything that they put their mind to, especially if it’s in aviation. There should be more women being pilots,” she said.

Source: Wisconsin Muslim Journal