Habiba Messaoud

Egypt's pioneering female aviator who broke gender barriers in aviation during the mid-20th century

Habiba Messaoud (1913–1998) was a trailblazing Egyptian aviator who became the first woman in the Arab world to earn a pilot's license in 1933. Defying societal norms, she soloed at age 20 and later joined the Egyptian Air Force as a civilian instructor. Her 1935 trans-Mediterranean flight from Cairo to Paris in a single-engine plane made headlines worldwide, showcasing Arab women's capabilities. She later co-founded Egypt's first airline company and trained hundreds of pilots during WWII. Messaoud's legacy lives on through Cairo's annual Habiba Messaoud Aviation Prize. Read more on Wikipedia.