A team led by a South African Indian-origin innovator has received a national award for a project to create a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

The Pegasus Universal Aerospace Team, led by well-known aesthetics doctor Reza Mia received the prestigious National Science and Technology (NSTF) award in the category for Innovation and research.
 
The NSTF Awards honour and celebrate outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology and innovation. 40-year old Mia expressed hope that gaining recognition for his idea at that level would open up many doors internationally for the project which he initiated in 2012. He said he have always wanted to design his own aircraft, based on his personal work travel experiences, with a genuine passion for the future of aviation solutions that save time.