Youngest female pilot in the world reveals she'd never been a passenger on a plane before flying one

'The first time I ever stepped onto a plane, it was to fly it!'

The world's youngest female pilot has revealed she'd never been on a plane before she began training to fly one.

Anya Divya was just 17 years old when she enrolled in flying lessons in her humble hometown in India, now she's 30 and flies planes around the world.

"We belonged to a very humble background back then - we couldn't afford to travel in planes," she revealed to MailOnline.

Raised in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, the ambitious pilot puts her success down to her parents supporting her from a young age.

It was only after her mother's encouragement that she began pursuing a career in aviation.

Divvy enrolled in lessons at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi where she was awarded a scholarship, graduating two years later aged 19.

After moving to Mumbai, the young aviator secured a coveted job at Air India where she worked her way up to becoming an advanced pilot.

She now commands the world’s largest twin jet, a Boeing 777 which carries 396 passengers.

Divvy typically flies up to 80 hours a month and insists that wearing the pilot’s uniform gives her great pride.

The generous pilot has saved up enough money through her job to buy her parents a house and finance her siblings studying abroad.

When passengers are made aware of her age, Divvy explains they are very complementary.

"They are pleasantly surprised," she told MailOnline. "Most people have been very appreciative. Sometimes they are awestruck."

Can you blame them?