At just 26, Raina Majgaiya is excelling in two fields: aviation and pageantry.

She is a commercial pilot and titleholder of Miss Nepal Earth 2023. Majgaiya also represented Nepal at the 23rd Miss Earth 2023 pageant in Vietnam.

In a conversation with the Post’s Aarati Ray, Majgaiya shares her experience of piloting aircraft to winning the Miss Nepal Earth 2023 crown.

As someone involved in two fields, did you have aspirations in these areas as a child?

When you’re a child, you don’t truly understand the concept of a career, but from a young age, I was unconsciously drawn to aviation. My dad travelled frequently and often brought me toy planes. My parents say I always preferred playing with planes over dolls, so my fascination was evident to them from the start.

Whenever planes flew overhead, I would gaze at them for a long time. This fascination grew stronger as I got older, and I realised that aviation was the career I wanted to pursue.

So, the passion for aviation was always there, but pageantry came into my life later.

How did you get involved in pageantry?

I’m a wild spirit who loves trying new things and being spontaneous. I was inspired by Anushka Shrestha and Malina Joshi, my favourite Miss Nepal winners, after watching the pageant on Kantipur Television.

When Shrestha won in 2019, her aura and presence sparked my interest in participating in Miss Nepal pageantry.

At that time, I was preparing for an aviation career. Having just returned from the aviation training, I knew I needed to gain experience first.

I started working in aviation in 2019 and felt ready to apply by 2023. Pageantry wasn’t a childhood dream, but it suited my personality and vision for bigger things in life.

So, I applied and, fortunately, became a title winner.

When you applied for the pageant, did you think about how it would affect your flight schedule?

Even on the day of my audition, I was asked how I would manage my time for training and events related to Miss Nepal. I made it clear that I was determined to find a way to manage, but my first priority would always be flying.

Balancing both was challenging. I had to cut down on my flights during the training, but I still managed. I would complete my morning flights and then attend Miss Nepal training by 10:00 a.m.

After winning, I continued to fly and didn’t stop. Yeti Airlines also helped in the initial days by managing my flight schedule.

You have various responsibilities as a Miss Nepal Earth 2023 titleholder. How has managing these roles alongside your personal life been?

Yes, managing everything has been very difficult. There was a lot of stress at times. Coming from aviation, where everything is neatly planned and schedules are given a week in advance, adapting to the glamorous and hectic pageantry setting was challenging.

There were different events, meetings, and interviews, which required some compromises. I often questioned, “How can I manage all this? Will I be able to do it?”

But I gradually got used to it, constantly pushing myself with the mantra, “Raina, you can do it.” Now, I’m here, having learned to handle everything with stumbles, falls, and lessons along the way.

The aviation industry in Nepal has been male-dominated. What challenges and stereotypes do you encounter?

Even though our society has progressed, women still face suppression and are often looked down upon. During my training in aviation, I was the only girl among 25 boys, which created pressure to prove myself.

While others gave their best, I felt I had to give a lot more than that to prove my worth. There wasn’t blatant gender discrimination but subtle biases. Sometimes, male colleagues would comment that female pilots are ‘soft’ and ‘afraid to fly,’ reflecting unconscious conservative gender norms. These comments were hurtful and a challenge many women in aviation face.

Entering the glamour world brought additional judgments, particularly from male pilots who said I was too focused on pageantry and couldn’t fly anymore.

Despite this, aviation has always been my priority, and I’ve managed my schedule to ensure it doesn’t affect my flying. For example, I request the pageantry team, The Hidden Treasure, not to schedule events at least two days before my flights so I can prepare adequately.

Humans can multitask and balance multiple roles, but the stereotype that women can’t perform well if they are distracted by other interests persists.

I believe in flying a plane, regardless of your gender, one must be skilled.

What was more difficult—entering the aviation industry or pageantry? And what motivated you to keep going?

Entering the aviation industry was definitely more challenging. It required a lot of effort to convince my family, who were initially hesitant. Family and relatives not believing in your dreams can be a major obstacle.

It took me a year to persuade them to support my aviation career.

Although being a pilot is an achievement, my biggest achievement is believing in myself when others did not.

Coming from a middle-class family, I faced financial issues, and my father’s expectation that I study banking in Australia added to the challenge.

Relatives were sceptical, believing that girls couldn’t handle such a demanding course or career.

Additionally, when I applied for aviation roles in challenging environments like Lukla and Jumla, I was turned down due to the belief that women lacked the bravery for such risky jobs.

Despite these struggles, I wanted to use the Miss Nepal platform to share a message of self-belief and resilience. If my story can inspire even one person out of 100 to believe in themselves, I count it as a great achievement.

This purpose and passion have kept me motivated throughout.

What areas for improvement do you see in the field of pageantry in Nepal?

Nepal has huge potential in pageantry, with many previous contestants representing the country on the international stage. However, compared to countries where pageantry is supported by the government with substantial financial backing, Nepal is still making gradual progress.

The government needs to consider how to better support international representation in pageantry. Pageantry organisations in Nepal should adapt and evolve to meet international standards and requirements as well.

What are your plans for the future?

Winning Miss Earth Nepal has been a transformative experience for me. As someone from the aviation industry, I’ve worked on projects related to the Sagarmatha ecosystem and the effects of climate change and global warming in the Himalayan region.

Seeing the snow slowly depleting from the mountains has been concerning.

So, I aim to continue working on environmental projects. My goal is also to continue working for girls and individuals facing societal and cultural barriers and promoting self-belief, showing that with determination, one can overcome obstacles and make a positive impact.

We don’t have to limit ourselves to one idea. If we have dreams and we’re determined enough, we can achieve them.