AZAL offers ladies to realize their dreams

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Many kids grow up dreaming of flying like their most beloved characters in storybooks., And for some this dream transforms into the desire to become pilot. While boys can follow these dreams into one of many pilot academies, most girls around the world are still barred from flying planes. But that is slated to change.

Azerbaijan’s national airline AZAL will now make it possible for many ladies to one day realize their dreams of becoming a pilot.

In Azerbaijan, once the first Muslim country and one of the first countries in the world to grant significant rights to women, the situation may change in the future.

We have gotten used to seeing male pilots in movies, news, and everyday life, which has stereotyped the profession as a “man’s job”.

The National Academy of Aviation of the Azerbaijan Airlines is breaking this stereotype by launching an experimental admission process for women to attend pilot training. This is the first such initiative in the CIS region.

The admission to the program will be open from July 1 to 30. The candidate should be 18-25 years old, 160-180 cm tall and under 75 kg. Moreover, the pilot-to-be should be fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, and English.

The list of documents for participation in the contest includes a copy of an identity card (original presented when submitting documents), an original proof of education, and a 3x4 cm photograph. Foreign language education certificates are preferred.

All documents must be submitted to the Central Department of Azerbaijani Airlines.

Females applying for participation in the competition must undergo a mandatory medical examination of psychological and physiological functions by a special commission under the health management systems.

Additional information is available through AZAL’s personnel department at (+994 12) 497 2600 EXT. 32 84.

Across the globe, only 3 percent of pilots are women, comprising about 4,000 out of the total 130,000 pilots worldwide. In today’s world, when gender equality is a widely discussed issue, the status of female pilots is raising many questions.

But female pilots are not a novelty for Azerbaijan, a country that has employed female military pilots during World War II.

The East’s first women pilot Leyla Mammadbeyova was well known throughout the Soviet Union. She became a courageous military pilot proceeding a life as a housewife and a mother of two small children, but always dreaming of the skies.

Mammadbeyova was famous for being the first female pilot not only in Azerbaijani history, but also in the Caucasus, Southern Europe and the Middle East. She attained the rank of squadron leader in 1941 and later continued with teaching career with the Baku flying club.

Those ladies who want to follow their dreams of flying may yet become legends for Azerbaijan themselves by joining the female pilots team of AZAL.

Currently, AZAL's fleet includes Boeing B-787-8, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 767-300, Airbus 319, Airbus A320, Airbus A340-500, Embraer ERJ 170-100LR and Embraer ERJ 190-100.

AZAL also has a very modern aviation training center, AZAL Training, which was founded in 2010, is equipped with advanced teaching aids and sophisticated aviation training simulators to ensure comprehensive training at all advancement levels for AZAL’s personnel.