From Syrian Refugee to Commercial Pilot: Maya Ghazal's Flight

When Maya Ghazal was 16, she fled Syria with her family as bombs fell around them. They arrived in the UK with nothing — no money, no connections, no English, and no idea what the future held.

The welcome they received was far from warm. Maya faced discrimination, hostility, and the constant reminder that she was an outsider. Many would have retreated into despair.

"They told me I was nothing. That refugees were a burden. So I decided to prove that we are a gift."

An Impossible Dream

Since childhood, Maya had dreamed of becoming a pilot. In Syria, that dream seemed distant but possible. In the UK, as a refugee with broken English and no resources, it seemed impossible.

She pursued it anyway.

Maya taught herself English. She excelled in school. She applied for scholarships and faced rejection after rejection. But she kept going.

History in the Clouds

In 2018, Maya became the first female Syrian refugee to earn a pilot's license. The moment she took the controls for the first time, everything changed.

"When I'm flying, I'm not a refugee," Maya says. "I'm not a statistic. I'm a pilot. I'm free."

Her accomplishment made international headlines. She became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, speaking at the United Nations and meeting world leaders. The girl who arrived with nothing had become a global symbol of refugee resilience.

Flying Forward

Maya is now pursuing her commercial pilot's license, with dreams of flying for a major airline. But her mission extends beyond personal success.

"Every refugee has dreams," she says. "We're not just running from something — we're running toward something. My job is to show the world what that something can be."

Her story challenges us to see refugees not as problems to be solved, but as potential waiting to be unlocked. In Maya's words: "I am proof that hope has wings."

This is harmony across borders.