Capt. Agarwal claims first human spot in SFO Aviation Museum
Captain Zoya Agarwal of Air India has made history as the first female pilot to fly above the North Pole, claiming her place as the first and only human to be honoured in the San Francisco Aviation Luis A Turpen Aviation museum, commonly known as the SFO aviation museum.
Captain Zoya was accompanied by an all-female crew, as they covered a record-breaking distance of 16,000kms – the longest route from San Francisco (SFO) to Bengaluru, while flying over the North Pole .
“I was amazed to see that I’m the only living object over there, I am just humbled honestly. I can’t believe that I am a part of a prestigious aviation museum in the USA,” Captain Zoya, who is also a senior Air India pilot of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
“I can’t believe that I am the first Indian female to be in a museum in the USA if you ask the eight-year-old girl that used to sit on her terrace, looking at stars and dreaming about being a pilot. It’s an honour that the US recognised an Indian woman for their museum. It’s a great moment for me and my country,” Captain Zoya continued.
Inspiring the next generation
By leading this monumental trip, Captain Zoya has been praised for inspiring girls to pursue careers in the aviation industry, while also empowering women across the globe, which is especially important as just 5% of pilots were women in 2020 and only 1.42% were captains, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.
“She is the first female Indian pilot to be included in our program. In addition to her remarkable career with Air India, including her record-breaking flight from SFO to Bengaluru in 2021 with an all-female crew, her positivity about the world and her commitment to helping other girls and women achieve their dreams is deeply inspiring,” an official from the San Francisco Aviation museum told ANI.
“Being able to record and share Captain Agarwal’s personal history allows SFO Museum to preserve the excitement and the historic nature of her extraordinary career with current and future generations of aviation enthusiasts.”
