Suriati Sukardi, 36, served the carrier for eight years while looking for a way to move up, The Star reported.

As a teenager she helped her mother at a sundry shop after school.

In 2019 she was offered the chance to take flying lessons, and she completed her pilot course in 2022.

She could not find work as a pilot straight away and went back to cabin duty while she kept searching.

Two years later a position opened and she was offered the chance to fly the A320 and A321.

"After so many years, I am finally soaring above with AirAsia and am living the dream I once held close to my heart," she said. "This is a reminder for myself and hopefully others that dreams can become a reality with determination, a bit of luck and a lot of hard work."

AirAsia's cadet pilot program, which dates to 2004, was suspended for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic and reopened in March 2023, the airline said.

Women made up 4% of pilots in service worldwide in 2021, up from 3.6% in 2016, according to survey data the International Civil Aviation Organization released in 2023.

AirAsia was named the world's best low-cost airline for a 17th consecutive year at this year's Skytrax World Airline Awards.