Dina Dawod (Trailblazer)

Driven by a dream of travelling the world, Dina Dawod began her aviation journey as an air hostess. With every flight, she felt an increasing pull towards the cockpit, and before long she made the bold decision to leave her family and travel to the United States to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot.

Dina’s journey was far from easy. Coming from Egypt, she faced extraordinary challenges during her training in America, experiences that some might describe as a nightmare. Dina, however, chose resilience. She survived a plane crash as a passenger and endured being wrongly treated as a terrorist, yet she never gave up on her dream. Her determination carried her through the darkest moments to eventual success.

Today, Dina flies as a First Officer on the Airbus A320 for a corporate aviation company in Egypt. She has been a member of The Ninety-Nines for four years, originally under the Arabian Section, and made history as the first Arab and African female pilot to receive a scholarship from The Ninety-Nines organisation.

Now a member of the African Section 99s and serving as Vice Governor, Dina actively mentors young women and organises STEM initiatives across Egypt and Africa, working closely with governments and civil aviation authorities. She is also a respected international speaker, regularly appearing on aviation panels to advocate for diversity, resilience, and women’s empowerment in aviation.

Dina’s features, articles and TV appearances. 

error: Content is protected !!