Capt. Shaesta Waiz was born in Afganistan amidst many hardships and harsh social background. This made her parents decide to migrate to America in 1987, as they wanted to assure her secured future. As she was learning quite brilliantly, her ambition was to be an Air Pilot since she was a little kid. With her great commitment to achieve her own ambition, she became the first female Afganistanian to be a certified Civil Air Pilot.

With the help of International Civil Aviation Organization, she inaugurated this magnificent program called “Dreams Soar” in order to educate the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) about the significance of learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It’s impressive that she flies around the world by herself alone to accomplish this invaluable mission. Accordingly she started her long Journey on 13th May 2017 from Florida, USA and has planned to arrive in the same by completing 30 such stops. For this marvelous Journey she picked up a single engine Beach model Bonanza Aircraft.

Even though she did not expect to arrive in Sri Lanka first, bad Weather caused her to postpone her arrival in India and she chose Sri Lanka as an alternative destination to land immediately. Accordingly, she had the chance to select the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport as her urgent place of landing which was the 14th stop in her journey.

Capt. Shaesta Waiz was warmly welcomed by Mr. Johan Jayaratne, the Executive Director, Ms. W. C. Tissera, Head of Air Navigation Services, Mr. Lalith Weerasinghe, the Deputy Head of Airport Management of Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd, Mr. Susantha De Silva, Deputy Director General, Mr. Rohan Manukulasooriya, Deputy Director General, Mr. Malaka Dassanayake, Director, Mr. Rayhan Wanniappa, Director, Mr. Gimhan Dabarera, Mr. Nagalingam Navajeevan, Mr. Prabhath Kularathna, Ms. Chanika Mannawaduge from NGAP National Committee & Mr. Nilantha Tennakoon & Mr. Prasad Ranasinghe from CADEC of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka & officials from Srilankan Airlines at the Bandaranaike International Airport Katunayake on 27th July 2017.

Captain Shaesta Waiz was also embraced by Sri Lanka school children and many students from the Flying Schools in Sri Lanka. They shared their own thoughts and wished her for the successful achievement of this great program – Dreams Soar.

Captain Shaesta Waiz had a special discussion with Mr. Ananda Wimalasena, the Chairman & Mr. H.M.C.Nimalsiri the DGCA & CEO of Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka.

In order to make this event a success, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, Airport & Aviation services (Sri Lanka) Ltd, Sri Lankan Airlines, Department of Immigration & Emigration, Cinnamon Hotel & Resort gave a tremendous support to organize this event very successfully within a shorter period.

The entire event was organized by Mr. Rohan Manukulasooriya, Deputy Director General of CAASL & Mr. Gimhan Dabarera, Secretary of the NGAP Sri Lanka Programme & NGAP National Coordinator with the guidance of the Mr. H.M.C. Nimalsiri, DGCA & CEO.