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Captain Yasmin Abdi Farah is breaking new ground in Somalia’s aviation industry. In 2022, she became the country’s first female pilot in 35 years, a milestone that revived a legacy once carried by trailblazer Captain Asli Hassan Abade. Today, Yasmin, now 27, commands passenger flights for Maandeeq Air, flying routes between Mogadishu and Nairobi as well as domestic flights across Somalia. Her journey reflects a generational shift in a profession long dominated by men and gives new life to a dream many thought had been grounded forever.
Every morning in Mogadishu, Yasmin begins her routine with calm confidence. Headset in hand, she walks onto the tarmac, boards her aircraft, and prepares for another flight. With steady precision, she powers up the flight deck, checks the instruments, and clears the systems for takeoff. Moments later, her plane soars above the city, climbing toward destinations that represent more than just travel. Each flight she commands is also a symbol of hope, progress, and the belief that women belong in every field, including aviation.
Earlier in 2025, Yasmin’s accomplishments were formally recognized when she was named Somalia’s Pilot of the Year. The award highlighted her growing influence in the aviation industry and underscored how far she has come at such a young age. For many Somalis, her rise feels personal — a reminder of resilience, possibility, and the importance of role models who dare to challenge old boundaries.
Yasmin’s path to the skies was not an easy one. She was born in Wajir County, Kenya, to Somali parents who nurtured her ambitions. As a girl, she grew up inspired by stories of strong women but rarely saw any who sat in the captain’s seat. Pursuing aviation required long years of study, commitment, and determination in a field where women are still underrepresented. At times, it meant pushing through doubts and societal expectations. Yet through resilience and belief in her dream, Yasmin charted her own course and proved that women can lead from the cockpit.
Her achievements also carry a deep historical weight. For decades, there was only one female pilot whose name every Somali remembered — Captain Asli Hassan Abade. Asli became a symbol of possibility when she first took to the skies but, over time, her story was reduced to nostalgia. For many years, no woman followed in her footsteps. When Yasmin was finally commissioned as a pilot in 2022, the ceremony was held on the same runway where Asli once flew. That moment did not just mark Yasmin’s personal victory; it restored a story that had almost been forgotten and connected two generations of Somali women in aviation.
At 35,000 feet, Yasmin carries both her own dreams and the legacy of those who came before her. Her work is more than a job — it is a statement that women can and will continue to break barriers in Somalia. Each landing and takeoff adds to a story of resilience and renewal. She has become more than a pilot; she is an inspiration to young girls in Somalia and beyond who now see that the captain’s seat is not out of reach.
Yasmin’s journey is still unfolding, but it already represents a powerful chapter in Somalia’s modern history. Where once there was only one name, now there are two. Together, Captain Asli Abade and Captain Yasmin Farah show that no dream is too high to reach, and no sky is too vast for women to conquer.