Alvir Airways Chairperson Huma Batool not Just Thinks Big, She Does Big

by, Yasser Chattha

Huma Batool is the newest star young woman in the Pakistani skies. She sees dreams, she develops vision, she carves out plans of action, and you don’t wait; she has already done many a thing in a composed, cool energetic  manner. She has not stopped, she is a traveller of high skies now.

But this is not a traveller’s tale. Don’t be cynically critical. She doesn’t personify a traveller’s tale, which might be exaggerated, packaged in the idiomatic expression of traveller’s tale. Mind it, you might exaggerate, but she turns any of that exaggeration into true existence. Listen again, her freshest is that she has opened Pakistan’s first woman led, Alvir Airways.

Ms. Huma Batool, might be called a born leader. But she has a dynamic personality as well. She’s nourished her talent with her consistency and steadfastness. Now she has seventeen years of diversified and cumulative experience and this experience and organic knowledge is on the growth trajectory. I’m repeating the self same that though she is a born leader, but she believes in continuous movement forward and cultivating to the best from the better of any given time; she’s chiselling and carving new pathways of herself and for herself.

She believes in doing and she keeps on doing, resulting into fruit that she has extensive hands-on research on various business models and systems of economy. She nurtures diversity and it pays back; she reaps diversity.

Latest feather in her cap is in the shape of being the owner and chairperson of Alvir Airways Private Limited, Pakistan.

Moreover, she has long been, and rightly she is the managing director of Vantage Laboratories Private Limited, Pakistan. Her creations don’t apply brake in here. She is also heading numerous other organisations being the captain of the ship.

Ms. Batool opened her baby eye in Faisalabad. This is the second largest city in the eastern province of Punjab, Pakistan.

Her family consisted of an educationist mother Syeda Shakira who held scholarly credentials in Persian and Urdu among other languages; her father was a landlord and businessman, Syed Ahzar Hassan. She is the youngest in her family with five siblings.

Ms. Batool says, “My mother not only helped me take baby steps in my childhood, but she also cultivated in me a sense of aspiring for inspiring leaps.” Her mother helped Huma Batool make her into an iron character.

And when asked what role did her father play in her life, Ms. Batool’s moistened eyes and a just for a moment shook voice solidified in these words:

“My father gave me integrity and firmness in faith, which are some of the invaluable assets in the bone marrow of myself throughout these years of my life.”

While saying these lines she seemed so truly sure of herself that she had lived a life in fullness of its possibilities.

Looking at her even in a cursory glance one notices two of the big dreamful eyes under her cleanly done eyebrows; these eyes offer themselves as a testimonial of her composure in her all-the-self. She has indeed a not-so-common combo of composure and ambition realisation, i.e., that go-and-get kind of energy. She once said in a gathering of close friends at a cosy coffee shop in Islamabad in some of the whispery gentle poetic overtones:

“I dream big in life and then chase my dreams; my dreams keep on extending the scope and horizons of my life.”

She is the star of an illustrious galaxy family; her grandfather Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah had served in the Indian Civil Service (ICS), he also had some spiritual credentials and was a renowned Sufi of his times. One of Huma Batool’s grandfather’s brothers, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah had served as a fighter pilot in the British Royal Airforce before the Partition of the Subcontinent; and the other one remained the Commissioner of Dhaka.

Her ancestors migrated from Ludhiana and Jalandhar, and later they settled in Shahpur, India. She inherited land holdings and other wealth from her paternal sources. Her father was a highly skilled businessman and at the same time an excellent orator; he was known for his exquisite eloquence. This is yet another not-so-common combo in her life and person.

Ms. Batool was educated at the Divisional Public School, (DPS) Faisalabad, her hometown, for the initial years of her educational career. Later, her mother insisted upon her to go to Lahore. There Ms. Batool graduated from illustrious and historical Kinnaird College, Lahore; Progressively she did her Masters in English literature from Government College, Lahore. Ms Batool says about her learning sources:

“Kinnaired College evoked a lot of confidence in me, while GC Lahore made me into a person who wanted to think big.”

She doesn’t say “okay, it’s over now!” She is a movement in herself. In that sport she is an alumna of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi earning her M.Phil degree in English literature after a gap of 16 years in her academic journey.

Ms. Batool spent an illustrious childhood and vibrant teenage years. She remained an achiever in her academic and professional institutions. She earned many different certificates for her meritorious activities in the fields of debating, dramatics and editorial boards of the college magazines she attended.

In continuation of this trail of illustrious activities, Consulate General Barcelona, Spain bestowed upon her a certificate of acknowledgement on behalf of the Government of Pakistan.

Ms. Batool has earned the unprecedented honour for Pakistan; and what’s that? She is the first ever woman owner of an airline not only in Pakistan; she is the only owner of any airline in the 100 years of world’s aviation history. And her shinimg career doesn’t stop for taking a breath or some respite. She also is the youngest entrepreneur in this industry.

She is the staunch believer in the idea of living for others. She echoingly says:

“This is how one lives a vibrant and elevated life beyond the hackneyed.”

After several years of successful import business, Ms. Batool once hit upon the idea to build her own medicine manufacturing facility under the name of Vantage Laboratories Private Limited. The factory was built in a remote area. The intent was of generating employment and human development in the area. Ms. Batool, within days, achieved prestige in the market with best of the class quality medicines.

Ms. Batool is a strong and dedicated advocate of affirmative women empowerment in Pakistan and across the globe. For this purpose she has represented her country on various forums. To move this cause farther, she holds contributions for the various sort of welfare work in the society from running an orphanage to arrange for microfinancing of the women for running small scale businesses.

She is undoubtedly a diligent and pragmatic personality. She is passionate for her professional endeavours. Ms. Batool is an oasis of inspiration not only for Pakistani women, but for every woman across the globe who wants to perform her active part and contribute for the society.

She has been awarded with numerous recognitions and honorary awards in regard to her services for various causes.

She is a writer, and a poetess. She has immense fondness for Persian and Punjabi Sufi poets in inheritance from her ancestors, one may guess.

The pivotal feature of her personality is her dedication for her country, and country for her isn’t just a piece of land; she believes the country folk are its flesh and blood.