Despite being mistaken for cabin crew on a daily basis, Shibani Kaur Gupta loves her job as a pilot. ‘It’s so rewarding,’ she says of working in a very male-dominated industry. ‘I feel very honoured and blessed to have an opportunity to break down gender stereotypes and really make a difference.’.
![[Shibani Kaur Gupta stood near a plane]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_4905-39da-e1726843891489-68a8.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
And not only does she enjoy helping change negative views regarding women in aviation, she also likes to be able to help and reassure those who are nervous about getting on a plane. The 35-year-old, who earned her private pilot licence when she was just 17 years old, has spoken to a lot of passengers over the years and has some crucial advice for anyone who might be anxious about flying.
![[Fearful woman traveling by plane.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2162201280.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Shibani, who currently works as a Line Training Captain for Wizz Air, told Metro: ‘It really helps if you can talk to the crew. Definitely the cabin crew, but also if you get the opportunity, speak to the pilot. It’s not always possible as they’ll likely be busy with work, but it’s happened to me a few times in previous jobs where I got to speak to a nervous flyer and it really calmed them down, because hearing it from the horse’s mouth really makes a difference.
‘I got to tell them that I know what I’m doing and I’m not going to jeopardise the safety of the flight, because it’s my life at risk as well. So I think talking about your nervousness is a good trick.’. The expert also warns against drinking alcohol before or during a flight as a way to try and clam your nerves.
