All You Need To Know About Jeni Jerome, Kerala's First Woman Commercial Pilot

Who is Jeni Jerome: 23-year-old Jenny Jerome flew the Sharjah-Thiruvananthapuram Air Arabia flight which landed in Kerala early Sunday morning. In a major watershed moment for women in the aviation field, Jerome thus became the first commercial woman pilot in the state on May 23.

A day after Jerome's maiden flight, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday praised her in a Facebook post saying that the young woman fought against circumstances, realised her dreams and has inspired women and ordinary people of this generation.

23-year-old Jeni Jerome has scripted history by becoming the first woman commercial pilot of Kerala. On her maiden flight, she flew from Sharjah to Thiruvananthapuram as a co-pilot. More power to her ! pic.twitter.com/7rkYWOWPBa

— SheThePeople (@SheThePeople) May 27, 2021

Before she co-piloted the airplane, Jerome received praise from Shashi Tharoor, who tweeted, "Congratulations to Jeni Jerome from Tvm's Kochuthura on her maiden flight as co-pilot. When she flies today's ⁦@airarabiagroup ⁩flight SHJ to TRV, it's the realisation of a childhood dream of a girl from a small fishing hamlet to be a commercial pilot. A real inspiration!"

Congratulations to Jeni Jerome from Tvm's Kochuthura on her maiden flight as co-pilot. When she flies today's ⁦@airarabiagroup⁩ flight SHJ to TRV, it's the realisation of a childhood dream of a girl from a small fishing hamlet to be a commercial pilot. A real inspiration! pic.twitter.com/0pJmXF2hoc

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 22, 2021

Who is Jeni Jerome?

23-year-old Jerome is a native of Kochuthura, a coastal village in Thiruvananthapuram. Presently a resident of Ajman, the young pilot has always been passionate about the sky since realising her childhood dream to fly, reported India Times. Jerome is considered to be the first commercial pilot hailing from the coastal region of the southern state.

According to Outlook India, her father works as a fabrication manager at the British company Lamprell in the Middle East. Born in Kochuthura where she had spent her early childhood, Jerome pursued her education in the UAE. After completing her 12th grade, she had joined an aviation academy. Her family supported the youngster's dreams and hoped that one day she would become a role model for the society. Read how Pilot Priya Adhikari is flying beyond Sexism to scale new heights here.

Being a pilot was her childhood dream, said Jeni'  brother Jeby, who is a chartered accountant. She has been living with her parents and brother in Ajman for over two decades now. Her cousin Sherin told The New Indian Express, “Jeni always loved flying. It was a dream she had from her younger days. In fact, her father Jerome was equally passionate about her flying. It was his dream too as much as it was Jeni’s."

Kerala's Health Minister Veena George wrote on Facebook on Sunday that Jerome was an inspiration for other youth to fulfill their own dreams.

Featured Image Credit: Shashi Tharoor/Twitter