PAKISTAN International Airways' (PIA) Maliha Sami entered her name into the aviation history books last month when she became the first Pakistani woman pilot to operate a scheduled wide-body Airbus A-300 flight on the Karachi-Quetta-Islamabad run.
Maliha Sami, who is one of the first female pilots in Pakistan, has also had the singular distinction of being the first Pakistani woman pilot to operate a scheduled Fokker flight on the Karachi-Panjgur-Turbat-Gwadar sector, about four years ago.
First Officer Maliha Sami worked for the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan for more than six years, where she flew small, twin-engined aircraft as a navigational co-pilot.
During her tenure at the authority, she attended several refresher and training courses in the United States.
During the 12-week technical training course at PIA'S Training Centre, Maliha scored an average of 80 per cent and secured fourth position in the class.
She has also attended an intensive three-week training programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.