Captain Zoya Agarwal, a senior Air India pilot operating a Boeing 777, made aviation history as the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft above the North Pole and travel a record-breaking distance of almost 16,000 kilometres. She now has a seat in the SFO aviation museum. In 2021, an all-female Flight India pilot team led by Zoya Agarwal completed the first flight across the North Pole on the world's longest air route between San Francisco (SFO) in the United States and Bengaluru in India.
The accomplishments of all of Air India's female pilots pleased the US-based aviation museum, and as a result, they provided a space in their collection.
In an interview, Captain Zoya Agarwal revealed that the San Francisco Aviation Luis A Turpen Aviation museum, often known as the SFO Aviation Museum, has never employed a human as a pilot.
"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 told. Recently, the SFO Museum commemorated the Indian pilot Zoya Agarwal`s extraordinary career in aviation and her advocacy for promoting women`s empowerment across the world, inspiring millions of girls and youth to meet their dreams."She is the first female Indian pilot to be included in our program.
Her positive outlook on the world and dedication to assisting other girls and women in achieving their objectives are deeply motivating, in addition to her outstanding career with Air India, which included her record-breaking trip from SFO to Bengaluru in 2021 with an all-female crew.
An official from the San Francisco Aviation Museum told that by being able to preserve and share Captain Agarwal's personal history, SFO Museum will be able to share the thrill and historic nature of her extraordinary career with present and future generations of aviation enthusiasts.
The SFO aviation museum added, "We are honoured by your participation and we hope to educate and inspire future generations.
"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 use to sit on her terrace, looking at stars and dream 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 said.
One of the UN's spokespersons on gender equality is Captain Zoya Agarwal, who is a pioneer in inspiring girls and young people to pursue their aspirations. When the museum opened at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in 1980, it did so primarily through the use of images displayed on walls to enhance and humanise the airport's surroundings.
Since then, it has blossomed into a lively exhibition programme with galleries in each of the five terminals and a growing collection of artefacts relating to the history of SFO and commercial aviation that now numbers more than 150,000.
According to the International Society of Women Airlines, India has the highest percentage of female pilots in the world. In the meantime, the number of women pilots has significantly increased in India. Corresponding to about 12.4% of all pilots, as opposed to 5.5% in the US.
