The young Greek Australian who made aviation history

Greek Australian pilot Aglaya Papas in the first officer’s seat. [Courtesy of A. Papas]

On Sunday, October 25, a Jetstar aircraft took off from the new Western Sydney International Airport, bound for the Gold Coast in the Australian state of Queensland. It was the first commercial passenger flight to depart from the airport, and in the cockpit, serving as first officer, was 25-year-old Greek Australian Aglaya Papas (Papadokokolakis).

The flight signaled the opening of an airport the region has spent decades waiting for. It is Australia’s first major new international airport in more than 50 years, designed to transform Sydney’s connections by air to the rest of the world. Australian and Greek Australian media hailed the occasion as historic, with Papas and the aircraft’s captain, Guy Proctor, featured prominently in news reports and television interviews. Kathimerini spoke with the young pilot just hours after the flight.

A family affair

“I grew up in Blacktown in Western Sydney, and the fact that I was able to be part of such a momentous occasion for my hometown was a huge honor,” the 25-year-old tells Kathimerini.

Her excitement for the historic flight had been building for days. By the time departure day arrived, the passengers and airport staff were overwhelmed with emotion, Papas recalls. But the most moving moment came aboard the aircraft, just before takeoff.

“My mother was among the passengers. I didn’t expect that at all. It was a surprise organized by the Jetstar team, and it made a special day even more memorable,” says Papas.
The young woman’s connection to air travel began long before she put on the Jetstar uniform, as her father, Michael Papas, is also a pilot. “My love for aviation began when I was still very young. My father is also a pilot, and his career played a major role in my decision to follow in his footsteps,” she says.

Frequent travel was an intrinsic part of the family’s life, and Papas grew up loving airplanes and exploring destinations beyond Australia’s borders. “I wanted a career that would allow me to combine my love of flying with the opportunity to see the world,” she says, explaining how she moved to Queensland after graduating from school to attend the Qantas Group Pilot Academy, but the pandemic temporarily disrupted her plans.

“After graduating from the academy, I returned to Sydney and started working at a bank while continuing to fly. I later moved to Geraldton, in Western Australia, to build up my flight hours and gain the necessary experience. Three years ago, I managed to join the airline I work for today,” she says. “It took a lot of hard work, patience and perseverance. But when you turn your childhood dream into a career, every sacrifice seems worth it.”

Although aviation is still a male-dominated profession, Papas says she has never felt that her gender held her back. “The environment at my airline is very supportive, and I’m happy to see more and more women pursuing careers in aviation,” she says.

She hopes her story will inspire other women to believe in themselves. “When a young girl sees a woman in the cockpit, she can imagine herself there, too. My advice to women interested in aviation is to believe in their abilities and not let other people’s expectations limit their dreams.”

Connection to Greece

Greece always has a special place in Papas’ life, even though she was born and grew up in Sydney. A second-generation Greek-Australian whose father hails from Crete and her mother from the Peloponnese, she grew up with the Greek language, Greek traditions and family stories. Her grandparents were also instrumental in forging this connection with her roots.

“My Greek heritage has had a profound impact on the person I am today. I’ve always spent a lot of time with my grandparents, since I was a child. They taught me to speak Greek, but also to love our culture and traditions. These are values that I carry with me to this day,” she tells Kathimerini.

She did traditional Greek dancing for several years and performed at events organized by the Greek Australian community, staying connected to her heritage. “Our culture remains very important to me. I’m proud that, despite growing up so far from Greece, I’ve managed to maintain such strong ties to my Greek roots,” she says.

She also keeps her connection to Greece through regular visits. She has traveled to the country many times, and several of her relatives still live there.

“Every trip to Greece is special. My grandfather from my father’s side lives in Crete, as do my aunt and her family. We also have many aunts, uncles and cousins in different parts of the country on both sides of the family,” she says. “Being able to go back, spend time with them and maintain those family ties is very important to me.”

Flight to Athens

At 25, Papas has already had an experience she is unlikely to forget. But she sees the October 25 flight as just one milestone in a career she hopes to pursue with the same enthusiasm. “I want to keep growing as a pilot, challenge myself and make the most of the opportunities the field offers. Being in the cockpit for this inaugural flight was something I could never have imagined as a little girl. And now I’m even more excited about what lies ahead.”

Her ambition is to one day take the left-hand seat in the cockpit as captain and to fly long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787. And there is one flight she dreams of making more than any other: from Australia to her parents’ homeland. “If I ever had the opportunity to fly from Sydney to Athens, I would sign up without a second thought.”