Ayesha Farooq
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Ayesha Farooq | |
|---|---|
عائشہ فاروق | |
| Born | Hasilpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Aviation career | |
| First flight | 2013 Chengdu J-7 |
| Air force |  Pakistan Air Force |
| Rank |  Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader |
Ayesha Farooq (Urdu: عائشہ فاروق) is a Pakistani fighter pilot from Hasilpur, Bahawalpur District, who was the first woman to become a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).[1][2]
In 2013, she became the first Pakistani female fighter pilot after topping the final exams to qualify. She now flies missions in a Chinese-made Chengdu J-7 fighter jet alongside her 24 male colleagues in 20th Squadron .[3] Of the 6 current female fighter pilots in the PAF, Flight Lieutenant Ayesha is the only one qualified for combat and to fly sorties along the border.[4]
She is one of 19 women to have become pilots in the PAF since the 2000s.[5]