What does the youngest Pakistani commercial pilot say about aviation?

I wasn't afraid of going into horizon; only issue was to control my excitement," recalls Awais Butt.

When Awais Haider Butt entered the cockpit for the first time back in 2016, when he was not even 17, the story "His First Flight" by "Liam O  Flaherty" flashed his mind. The story of a young seagull who is afraid to fly.

"But I wasn t afraid of going into the horizon; the only issue was to control my excitement," recalls Awais Butt the day when he started an ambitious journey to be a professional pilot, right after one week of his A level exams. The tough, disciplined journey ultimately led him to be the youngest professional commercial pilot. He became a licensed and on-job commercial pilot at the age of 18.

He vividly remembers the day of his first flight.

"The first flight I did was in Greece; I remember it was during the early hours of the day, and I couldn t sleep all night due to the excitement. A cold sunny morning with beautiful conditions to fly awaited me. The view after we took off was too good to be true. The experience was unmatched, and that s the day I totally fell in love with aviation and aircraft," he smiled.

When his other classmates were planning to swarm downtown hangouts or fly abroad for chill time once their A level papers were over, Awais Haider Butt, however, was thinking about checking in to an aviation-academy to take his long-awaited flight. Right after one week of A-levels paper, Awais Haider Butt took his first flight lesson.

Awais Haider Butt was born in Pakistan and raised in the United Arab Emirates where his parents had settled for a job.

His aviation training regime was not a bed of roses.

"Right when I started my training, there was no looking back and no breaks for me. So I would say hard work, dedication and determination were the contributing factors for me becoming the youngest commercial pilot and definitely my parents  prayers and family s support also played the most important role."

In his seven years career, Awais Haider Butt has four aircraft.

"During my initial training, I flew the Diamond 40, Diamond 20 and Cessna 172. And I m currently flying Airbus 320."

Of all of these aircraft, which was his favourite?

"To pick a favourite is difficult, but I guess I would go with Airbus 320."

When asked to describe the impact of spicy of aviation, such as food on board, Awais Haider Butt first blushed.

"Aviation has come a long way, and everything is evolving really fast in this field. Food has always been good and at a very excellent standard. The menu keeps changing as airlines prefer more of an international menu that fits all."

"Once I wear the uniform, it s all professional for me. Emotions are set aside. I think this is what the training was about, to let go your emotion keep your personal life aside, disconnect from everything and focus on your job. This is one of the many magic of wearing a uniform, and also has a lot to do with how much you respect your profession."

Awais Haider Butt has hero looks. His Instagram handle (@awaisax8) has more than 86,000 followers. His pictures in uniform, on the runway tarmac and in the cockpit keep his followers connected with the aviation world.

What are your goals?

"From a professional pilot of view, my goal is to just keep working hard and would love if I could end up as a training pilot. And my personal goal is to try my best to increase the literacy rate in Pakistan, to explain to the kids in Pakistan how important education is in today s world, and to give them a chance at being a successful individual by maybe just giving them the right information and guidance. Because sometimes all we need is someone to guide us. Also, I ve my Instagram page which is @Awaisax8, with 86,000 people following me. Very honoured to say that there s a lot of teenagers in Pakistan who think of me as their role model, and they contact me whenever they need guidance in the field of aviation."

By: Fatima Atta

(The author is a broadcast journalist an can be reached at fatimaatta@gmail.com)