Mogadishu (HOL) — Captain Yasmin Abdi Farah became Somalia’s first female pilot in 35 years when she was commissioned in 2022, reviving a legacy last held by pioneer Asli Hassan Abade. The 27-year-old now flies for Maandeeq Air on routes linking Mogadishu with Nairobi and cities across Somalia.

Today, the 27-year-old flies for Maandeeq Air, commanding routes between Mogadishu and Nairobi as well as domestic flights across Somalia. Her rise represents a generational shift in a profession long dominated by men, and a revival of a legacy once thought grounded.

Earlier this year, Yasmin was named Somalia’s Pilot of the Year 2025, a recognition that illustrated her growing influence in the aviation sector.

Born in Wajir County, Kenya, to Somali parents, Yasmin grew up inspired by stories of pioneering women but saw few who reached the captain’s seat. Her pursuit of aviation required years of study, resilience, and belief that women could chart their own course in Somalia’s skies.

At 35,000 feet, Yasmin carries the weight of memory. For decades, Somalis spoke of only one woman in aviation, Captain Asli Abade, whose name became a symbol of possibility before fading into nostalgia. Yasmin’s commissioning, held on the very same runway where Asli once took off, restored that story to the present.

“It proves that women belong in the captain’s seat. Every time I take the controls of an aircraft, I carry more than passengers, I carry the hopes of young girls who dare to dream.”