Aero Legends – Meet Pilot Noman Ahmed

‘When there is a will, there is a way, a famous quote by Pauline Kael. Aviation Geeks is proudly presenting you with the story of a young man who has abided by this quote. Meet Noman Ahmed from Lahore, who fulfilled his dream of becoming a commercial pilot and inspiring many.

Early Childhood

Noman was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. He has completed his high school education at Pakistan International School, Jeddah. Noman was an average student in school. Like many expatriates, Noman traveled back and forth to Pakistan, and that is when the aviation bug bit him. ‘ I dreamt of being a pilot ever since I remember.’ Becoming a pilot was his childhood dream since grade 2.

Taking off his dream

Noman comes from a working-class family where nobody belonged to the aviation industry. Therefore, he did not know how to become a pilot. During his flights to Pakistan, he would often visit the cockpits and ask the pilots. On one flight, the captain told him about flying schools. That is when Noman started gathering information about flight schools in Pakistan. At that time, the flights were charging approximately 2 million Pakistani rupees, which was not affordable. He joined the University of Lahore upon his father’s wish and graduated as an Electrical Engineer. During university, Facebook became a common social media platform. Noman started expanding his online circle by adding pilots and various aviation personnel. He kept on gathering information about licenses and flight schools. Now that he was a graduate, his childhood dream was still on hold. He went back to Jeddah and started working as an engineer. During his job as an engineer for a year and a half, he saved money for his dream.

Hani Ansari, the first officer in Serene Air and a close friend of Noman, advised him to go to the United States for his flight training. It took the effort to convince his dad for a green signal. Luckily, he got his visa and went to the States. This was going to be a life-changing experience. He had no family or friends there, and so he had to start his life from scratch.

Flight Training

Noman joined Alpha Tango Flying Services in San Antonio, Texas. He completed his Private Pilot License in 6 months. As he was training, he realized he was running short of money. The financial situation of his family got weaker, and his expenses were increasing. Noman worked various jobs to support his training. For example, he worked in the hangar to gain credits for his flying. He washed planes to earn his flying hours. With great dedication, Noman completed his Commercial Pilot License and Instrument Training at the same flying school. During his training, he realized getting into the aviation business was not easy, and the Instructor rating was a must to build up hours and experience. After completing his CPL and IR, Noman joined American Flyers in Dallas to gain his Instructor rating. He rejoined Alpha Tango Flying Services, but this time as an instructor.

The Aviation Career Begins

Noman came back to Jeddah after training in the USA for two years with sheer determination. He started working as an instructor at Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy. While working as an instructor, he started converting his Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) license to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) license in the hope that maybe someday he would join as an airline pilot in Pakistan. Noman contacted Airborne Aviation in Lahore for his license conversion. He gave written exams in Karachi and flight checks in Lahore. After a lengthy process, he gained his PCAA license as well. Rabigh’s wings started facing internal disturbances, which forced Noman to leave the company. Luckily, he got appointed at Prince Sultan Aviation Academy as an on-ground instructor on a contractual basis for a year.

Noman worked as a ground instructor on the Flight Training Device (FTD) for Airbus A320. He received Jet Orientation Training (JOT) and became a JOT instructor as well. His job included preparing students for type rating before they sit with check airmen and start type rating. After a year, they did not renew his contract since it was a government job and they prefer Saudi nationals.

Noman joined Aviation Pioneers as a ground instructor for PPL, CPL, instrument, and ATPL. Noman is very keen to learn as much as he can. As soon as he got an opportunity to do an aircraft dispatch course, he studied to gain an aircraft dispatch license from aviation pioneers. This time, Noman gained CPL (FAA and PCAA), Ground instructor license, and aircraft dispatch license. After working in aviation pioneers for a year and a half, he got a call from Rabigh Wings to join back as an instructor. This time, he had to convert his license to a General Aviation and Civil Authority (GACA) license. Rabigh Wings got his license converted, so now he has a GACA license in addition to his long list of licenses.

The Promotions & Academy Leadership

Noman Ahmed joined Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy in early 2018 as a Senior Flight Instructor, quickly establishing himself as a cornerstone of the institution. Amassing over 2,000 instructional flight hours, his dedication, technical expertise, and leadership acumen led to his promotion to Chief Pilot in 2022. In this prestigious executive role, Noman spearheaded all instructional activities, standardized flight training protocols, and mentored the next generation of aviators, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential and respected aviation instructors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Transition to Commercial Aviation

By late 2022, Noman’s exceptional reputation had caught the attention of Airblue, one of Pakistan’s premier commercial airlines. They extended an offer for him to join their rapidly expanding Airbus A320 fleet as a First Officer.

Recognizing this as the pivotal moment to realize his lifelong childhood dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot, Noman took a leap of faith. He stepped down from his leadership role at the academy to transition into the fast-paced world of commercial aviation. Over the next few years, he masterfully commanded the skies, logging over 2,000 highly disciplined block hours across the narrow-body Airbus ecosystem, including the A320, A321, and the highly efficient A320neo.

The Next Chapter: AirSial

In April 2026, Noman’s extensive experience and clean safety record made him a prime candidate for AirSial, Pakistan’s premier, fast-growing, all-Airbus carrier. Seizing the opportunity to further advance his career with a modern, dynamic airline, Noman joined their flight operations team. He is currently flying as a key member of the AirSial crew, continuing his commitment to operational excellence and passenger safety across their domestic and international routes.

Team Aviation Geeks wishes Noman Ahmed all the best in his future endeavors.