Who is Lutfia Al-Nadi, who is the first woman in Egypt and the Arab world to fly a plane in 1933?

In 1932, the EgyptAir school was established in Almaza, so Lutfia went to enroll in the school.

To take this course, she had to meet two conditions: parental consent and provision of tuition fees.

Lutfia brought her mother to the school administration to fulfill the first condition, and she tricked her into working as a secretary at the school to pay the expenses; Because his father did not know anything about his enrollment in this school.

Lutfia attended two classes per week at the school, where she received 67 hours of training from foreign and Egyptian teachers.

In 1933, Lotfia obtained a flight permit, becoming the first Egyptian woman to obtain it, and the second woman in the world, after the American Amelia Air Hart, to fly a plane alone.

Lutfia was also number 34 in the list of holders of this license in Egypt.

In December 1933, a speed race was organized on the sidelines of an international aviation conference organized by Egypt, in which pilots from more than sixty countries participated.

Lotfia took part in this race between Cairo and Alexandria, and she surprised everyone by being the first to reach the finish point one minute ahead of the rest of the competitors.

But the jury refused to recognize this victory, claiming that she had neglected one of the two tents on the Mediterranean coast that she had not turned over and had contented herself with turning one, and thus handed the price to a French rider.

Egyptian newspapers celebrated this precedent and Lutfia Al-Nadi became the star of the moment as the country’s first female pilot.

Professor Salama Moussa wrote about it in “Al Majalla al-Jadida” in its January 1934 issue, saying: “But Egypt fought these traditions and succeeded in fighting them … and proved to the world that the Egyptian woman is not confined to the home … and that there is a daring and an intrusion into what is She deserves the admiration of the world … So the woman is at the forefront of ranks … And there we see the fruit of development in the kindness club, which every Egyptian now lifts his head with pride.

Professor Ahmed Hassan Al-Zayat wrote in Al-Resala magazine in its issue of the same month, saying:

“Who would have thought that Miss Lutfia, the girl of the Arab pub and the Egyptian guard, rivaled aviation legends with a long history, training and vast experience, and she only spent six months in the treatment of this art, so how can we think that it is ahead of their predecessors and that the earth goes down a good minute before it? “.

Feminist activist Hoda Shaarawy sent a message of congratulations and pride to Lutfia the club, and Shaarawy was not happy with this, but also sent a general invitation to Egyptians to subscribe to buy a plane for Lutfia the club. in support of her and the Egyptian. woman aspiring to paths in this area.

Lutfia recounts that her father, when he learned of the affair, got angry with her and was not convinced of her talent until after taking her on a plane tour of the pyramids, a trip that , according to Lutfia, was the most beautiful of her. life.

Lotfia opened the door for subsequent generations of Egyptian girls, including Linda Massoud, Aziza Muharram, Aida Takla and others.

Lutfia traveled to Switzerland, resided there and obtained citizenship, until his death in 2002 at the age of 95.