While many of her peers were wondering which college to enroll in, Linda Calistri was already looking far beyond the clouds. Thanks to this strong determination, today, at just 24 years old, the young pilot from Pistoia is not just a promising international pilot, but a well-established figure who recently received the prestigious “Fiorenza de Bernardi” Award from ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) as the youngest woman in Italy to meet the requirements for the role of Captain.
For Linda, her passion for flying wasn’t a sudden love at first sight, but a seed carefully planted during childhood and nurtured thanks primarily to her father, who, despite never having pursued a career in aviation, nurtured a deep love for airplanes and talked about them constantly at home. What had remained an unfulfilled dream for her father, became a lifelong goal for her.
After graduating from the Amedeo di Savoia Duca d’Aosta high school in Pistoia, Linda wasted no time. In 2020, at a time when the aviation industry seemed to be collapsing due to the lockdown, she made the courageous decision to enroll at the Professione Volare flight school in Forlì.
From ITA Airways to Transavia The airline pilot training program is known for being extremely rigorous, but Linda completed it in record time. In just 18 months, she passed 15 complex theory exams (from meteorology to radio navigation) and accumulated the flight hours required to obtain her commercial pilot’s license (CPL) at just 21 years old.
After completing school, ITA Airways was her first professional “home.” After passing the selection process for both Ryanair and the Italian national airline, she chose the latter out of a sense of belonging, and her first commercial jet flight took place in May 2023, on the Rome-Athens route.
In September 2025, Linda took another professional step, moving to Amsterdam to fly with Transavia (Air France-KLM group), where she operates modern Airbus A321neo aircraft, latest-generation aircraft that require extremely high technical skills.
Breaking down prejudices and making history. Being a woman in an industry where male representation still approaches 95% worldwide is a significant test and full of challenges. During a recent visit to NATURART VILLAGE, Linda told us about the perplexed looks she received, not only from passengers seeing a very young woman in uniform, but sometimes even from older colleagues. In light of all this, the recent recognition she received from ENAC is not only a recognition of her precociousness and the technical expertise she acquired thanks to over 1,500 flight hours as a First Officer (which unlocked her license to advance to the rank of Captain). Her story is a symbol for new generations, a demonstration that
gender and age are not insurmountable barriers when supported by rigorous training and unwavering determination. Today, Linda is not only “Italy’s youngest pilot,” but the face of a modern, European, and inclusive aviation industry that values merit above all else.
Despite the goals she’s already achieved, the young pilot from Pistoia—who always happily returns to Pistoia to see family and friends whenever she has the chance—has no intention of stopping: her next big goal is “long-haul,” the desire to pilot wide-body aircraft to finally cross oceans.
Have a good trip, Commander!
Text by Lorenzo Baldi
Archive photo by Linda Calistri
