A historic flight, operated by an exclusively female crew, landed in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran, last Sunday. The flight, conducted on an Aseman Airlines Fokker 100 and piloted by Shahrzad Shams, one of the country’s pioneering aviators, carried 110 passengers on a journey significant for both the aviation sector and Iranian society.
Dubbed “Iran Banoo” (“Lady of Iran”), the flight marked the first occasion that an air journey to Mashhad, home to the revered Imam Reza sanctuary, was staffed exclusively by female crew and passengers, as reported by international media outlets.
This event coincided with the anniversary of the birth of Fatima al-Zahra, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, a date celebrated as National Women’s/Mother’s Day in Iran. The initiative highlights the growing participation of women in Iran’s aviation sector, although the country remains in a state of alarm. Despite progress, women pilots remain a minority, according to the affiliated outlet Aeroin.
The progress of women in this field is exemplified by the career of Shahrzad Shams, recognized for her groundbreaking role as one of Iran’s first female pilots. This achievement follows the legacy of previous milestones, such as those of Neshat Jahandari and Forouz Firouzi, who made history in 2019 as the first women to operate a commercial flight in the Islamic Republic.
In a different context, Iran also recently witnessed the arrest of 27-year-old singer Parastoo Ahmady following a virtual YouTube concert where she performed without a hijab, defying the country’s strict moral laws. The concert, broadcast without dress restrictions, quickly drew public attention despite YouTube being restricted in Iran.
This event unfolds amid ongoing discussions about social regulations in the country, particularly after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s statements promising that the morality police would no longer “harass” women, delivered in a speech marking the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody.
These events reflect both the progress and current challenges within Iranian society, where issues of gender and individual freedoms remain central topics of transformation and debate.
