Aer Lingus Pilots Make History as First Mother and Daughter to Fly Together

Aer Lingus Makes History on the Dublin to Frankfurt Flight Deck

For the first time in the airline’s history, an aircraft was flown by a mother-and-daughter pilot team, with Captain Sonya Bissett and her daughter, First Officer Lara Danaher, sharing control of the flight deck on flights EI650 and EI651.

The airline acknowledged the milestone publicly, describing the pairing as a rare and special occurrence that marked a notable moment for the carrier. In a statement shared on social media, the airline offered huge congratulations to Sonya and Lara on a truly remarkable achievement.

A rare and special occurrence this week. Captain and Co-Pilot were Mother and Daughter. The first time in Aer Lingus history. Huge congratulations to Sonya and Lara on a truly remarkable achievement.

Aer Lingus

A Long-Awaited Dream Realized in the Cockpit

Sonya Bissett has flown with Aer Lingus since 1999, building a career that eventually intersected with her daughter’s ambitions. Lara Danaher joined the airline as a cadet pilot in October 2024 and officially earned her wings in January, when her mother proudly presented them to her.

The milestone arrived just over a year after Sonya congratulated Lara on her first solo flight, commenting on Facebook at the time, Can’t wait to fly with you. Following their joint assignment to Frankfurt, Lara documented the experience by sharing a post on LinkedIn, calling it for the most special day, I’ll cherish it forever.

According to travelers who posted about the flight online, an announcement was made in the cabin detailing the mother-and-daughter pairing, prompting applause and cheers from the passengers. Social media users praised the achievement, with one commenter dubbing the flight the safest flight in the world and others celebrating the moment as a powerful display of female representation in the industry.

Broader Representation Across Irish Aviation

The historic flight highlights a gradual shift toward greater gender diversity in commercial cockpits. While women remain underrepresented among airline pilots globally, Ireland maintains a notable position in the sector. Data shows that Ireland ranks among the top five countries for female pilot representation, with a 2021 study indicating that 9.9% of Irish pilots are female.

Dr Norah Patten, who is hoping to be the first Irish person to go to space, described the achievement as fantastic, while broadcaster Maïa Dunphy called the pairing very cool.

With both pilots established in their roles at Aer Lingus—Sonya with more than two decades of service and Lara building her career as a newly minted first officer—colleagues and online well-wishers have expressed hope that the Frankfurt journey is simply the first of many flights the mother-and-daughter duo will share together.