Prince Hassan mourns renowned fighter pilot Saiful Azam

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan on Monday expressed condolences to the family of Group Captain Saiful Azam, who passed away on Sunday in Bangladesh at the age of 80.

As a 25-year-old Captain of the Pakistan Air Force, Azam joined his Jordanian and Iraqi air force colleagues and brothers in defending the skies of Jordan and Iraq during the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, when he downed four Israeli fighter planes. 

Group Captain Azam served in the Pakistan Air Force from 1960-1971 and in the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) from 1971-1979.  

He is believed to be the only fighter pilot in the world who served in the theatre of war with four different air forces — Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan and Iraq. He received gallantry awards from Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan.

Azam was awarded “Top Gun” by the US Air Force (USAF) in April 1961 after training at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. In 2001 he was again honoured by the USAF as one of the 22 “Living Eagles” of the world.

After his retirement from the BAF, Group Captain Azam served as his country’s director of the Civil Aviation Authority for two terms. He later became a member of parliament.