It’s one thing to dream of flying, but turning that dream into a career is no easy feat. Especially when your dream takes you to the other side of the world. Here’s how inspiration and dedication led Republic Airways® First Officer Anisa Imtiaz to become the first female Bangladeshi Pilot in America.
Anisa was raised by two military parents. Her father was a Pilot in the Air Force, and her mother an Army Doctor. Growing up, she watched as her mother would save lives by taking care of patients. She also heard stories of her father’s flying missions. “My dad’s job was adventure and my mom’s was empathy,” Anisa explains. “I wanted to do both.”
At 15, she decided that, as a Commercial Pilot, she could help people like her mother and explore like her father. “You travel the world as a Pilot taking people where they need to be,” says Anisa. “People flying for birthdays, holidays, vacations and work. I wanted to be a part of their stories.”
Her dream was initially met with resistance. “People told me that women couldn’t be Pilots,” she remembers. “They said women don’t belong in the flight deck.” Anisa turned to her parents for support. “They were behind me from the very beginning, but they wanted me to do my research. I looked into flight schools around the world and saw that in the U.S., being a female Pilot wasn’t an unrealistic aspiration,” she says. “I knew I had to get there. I wasn’t sure if it was even possible, but I had to give it a shot.”
While her parents were always supportive, they needed a solid plan before they sent their daughter thousands of miles away. “With the help of my father and his connections in Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority, we were able to find a highly-recommended flight school in the U.S. “After years of research and planning, I finally moved to the U.S. in 2018,” Anisa remembers. “I had two suitcases and a lot of passion.”
Starting training is a challenge for anyone, including Anisa. She was away from her home, away from her family and even learning in her second language. “It would have been easy to give up,” she says. “No one would have blamed me. I took it as motivation to keep my head down and push through.” That mentality allowed Anisa to finish her training in a little over a year. She moved on to become a Certificated Flight Instructor and later a Check Airman at her school.
When it came time to find a career, Anisa knew what she was looking for. “The culture at Republic Airways matched my beliefs,” she explains. “Family. Discipline. Safety. They weren’t looking just for Pilots, they were looking for people to support, train and grow.”
The Republic Airways Mentorship Program was another unique selling point for her. “Coming from an instructor background to my first airline job was a huge transition,” says Anisa. “If I ever doubted myself or my plan, I had a mentor available day and night who had been through it all.”
The airline wasn’t the only thing inspiring Anisa to keep working toward her goals. Her peers inspired her, as well. Anisa quickly found the female aviation role models that she didn’t have as a 15-year-old. “When I started INDOC, I assumed I’d be the only woman in the class,” she says. “I was excited to find there were actually other women training with me, not to mention all of the other female First Officers and Captains at Republic Airways.”
When Anisa first came to America to start her aviation journey, her parents gave her advice. “They told me to celebrate the little wins,” Anisa explains. “Every day, I journal and I mark down every little win. First taxi. First radio call. It helps me remember the passion that got me here.”
“There are other boys and girls in smaller parts of the world who may think their dream is just a dream. I hope my story shows that with the right support and the right environment, like I found at Republic Airways, they too can grow to be where they want to be.”
Her parents are quick to remind her that the work she has put in is paying off. “I talk with my parents every day, even with the time difference. They tell me that I’ve made Little Anisa’s dream come true.”
Learn more about how Republic Airways supports our Pilots in their growth with a world-class culture right here.