Sunclass Airlines
Meet our colleagues
Meet Sabina - Pilot at Sunclass Airlines
Sabina Strand, 32 years old from Stockholm, is already in her ninth year as a pilot, with the last two years flying for Sunclass Airlines.
Let's get to know her and her everyday as a pilot a bit better!
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My dad worked in the industry, and we traveled a lot when I was little. At one point when I was 4 years old, we visited the cockpit during a flight, and I was fascinated by all the buttons and the view they had up front. I also got to sit with the pilots and 'fly' the plane. When I was 11, I wrote a project in school and got to interview a female SAS pilot. It then became very clear what my dream job was. The coolest thing of all was that when I finally joined SAS as a pilot, I got to fly with the same female pilot. It was powerful.
After high school, Sabina chose to study economics at university for three years, but the longing for a life in the air remained. And after a two-year vocational training in Västerås, she realized her dream of becoming a pilot. Since then, she has flown for five different companies and finally landed at Sunclass, where she has been since 2023.
The familiar atmosphere within Sunclass and the contact created with all the travelers is something Sabina appreciates.
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I might have thought it would be like that, but it was still such a positive surprise. Even today, I can be surprised by how nice all the charter travelers are. It is also clear what a good and close cooperation we have on board between the cabin and flight deck, which I have not experienced in the same way at other companies. The best thing about working for Sunclass is that you get the opportunity to fly to fantastic destinations, but above all, to be part of people's travel experiences. As a pilot, I really appreciate the variety in the job and the professionalism that permeates the entire company.
Today, Sabina flies our A321s, but she dreams of flying our "big birds" as soon as the opportunity arises.
"It is definitely a goal for me to fly the big ones and something I would really like to do. There is a sequence of order when you get the opportunity for it, but hopefully, it won't be too long before I can also take on our A330s."
Inspire more women to become pilots
Sabina is one of a total of eight female pilots at Sunclass (the remaining roughly 200 are male pilots), and ever since she started as a pilot, she has been amazed that so few women are attracted to the profession.
December 2023 Sabina was a part of Sunclass first all female crew flight.
However, Sunclass does not stand out in the statistics. Female pilots are still in the minority worldwide. But by inspiring other women and showcasing her daily life, Sabina hopes that more will open their eyes to what she herself sees as a dream job.
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Unfortunately, we are far too few, it is between 4-6 percent worldwide and usually matches quite well with each airline. There is generally a great lack of knowledge, and even today in 2025, the average person probably still pictures a pilot as a middle-aged/older man. In many industries that were previously male-dominated, such as law and medicine, a lot has changed in recent decades, but to attract more women to become pilots, we still have a long way to go.
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A career in aviation often means being prepared to move (often abroad), a somewhat unstructured career path, and a lot of time away throughout the year, which may not suit everyone. Generally, women also take on more family responsibilities, which can also play a role. Then it is a very technical job, and such professions unfortunately do not attract women to the same extent, but I am convinced that we can change that image by actively showing what a fantastic job it is.
A varied everyday life
With over 150 travel days per year, Sabina gets the opportunity to meet many people, see our beautiful destinations, and also see many of the places around the country that we fly from, but above all, she gets to do what she loves most – flying.
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- A flight begins with me and my pilot colleague going through a 'briefing package,' i.e., a collection of information related to the flight. It includes, among other things, the flight route, weather and turbulence information, the number of passengers and bags, information and temporary changes at airports, and any restrictions to keep in mind. A lot of it is about planning for us, and having an alternative plan along the way and when we approach the destination so we can quickly replan if something unforeseen happens. Flying is a very safe place, and it is rare that we need to deviate from our plan, but we are always prepared.
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- During the hours in the air, we are constantly working to optimize the flight and stay ahead. We always try to fly the shortest route to save fuel, we keep an eye on the weather and turbulence and choose a flight level where it is hopefully comfortable for our passengers. However, we share the airspace with many other planes and sometimes need to adapt to that as well. We pilots also have a good and close cooperation with our competent cabin crew both before and during the flight.
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- At Sunclass, we often have the privilege of staying at the destination we fly to, and that suits me well. I manage to shorten the dark winter months in Sweden with sun and warmth, even if it is only for a few hours. I like to be active, and the first thing I do after a flight is go out for a run.
-Privately, I prefer to travel to New York or the French Riviera. I also like our Tenerife stops as we stay in Santa Cruz, which offers a lovely and varied environment. There are also perfect running tracks there.
