Summer 2025 was probably the busiest summer of my life. Starting my internship at FlyDubai just a week after returning to Dubai and ending it only three days before I flew back, I knew I had to brace myself for what was ahead.

Unlike most interns who know their roles within a team, I went in without a clear idea of what I’d be doing or what role I would fulfill. I also wasn’t sure if I would fit into the corporate world or if I could prove to myself and the team that I could deliver.

Three months later, I realized I had been putting unnecessary pressure on myself, overworking to meet expectations that weren’t really there. The only expectation was for me to learn and leave with new knowledge—something I was able to do. In fact, I went beyond that by exploring different roles instead of limiting myself to data science alone.

I gained experience in data engineering, building purpose-driven architectures, and expanded my knowledge in machine learning and software engineering. I also learned how corporate life functions: an endless stream of tickets and projects, and the importance of prioritization—something I’ve always struggled with. On top of that, learning about how airplanes and airports operate was fascinating. I now understand how delays are predicted and how aircraft are assigned to slots.

Corporate life certainly has its pros and cons. As someone eager to build and push forward, I realized that slowing down occasionally can be valuable, but if you never accelerate, you won’t get anywhere. I also saw the impact of proper mentorship. My contributions wouldn’t have been as strong without the freedom to share ideas and ask countless questions. S and R gave me clarity on approaching problems holistically and offered invaluable career advice. They made me realize I still have much to learn, and that learning shouldn’t stop once you have a job. The key is to stay curious and open to growth, while not being overly critical of myself.

Another surprising takeaway was how I was treated as an equal, even as an intern. At first, it felt strange, since I grew up respecting elders and watching how my parents’ colleagues interacted with them. That shift in dynamic will take some time to get used to.

Overall, it was a really rewarding summer, and I’m excited to use what I’ve learned to continue growing both personally and professionally.

A few things I learned during my internship:

Linear Programming
- PuLP
Different Techniques for Exploratory Data Analysis
- PCA for Dimensionality Reduction
- Impact of correlation heatmaps on model output
- Clustering(K-means)
- How basic summary statistics can help decide what to leave in model development
- Histograms to help view data drift
Machine Learning
Domain related knowledge
- How flights are scheduled on a high level
- How delays are calculated
- More general airport and aircraft related

Navneeth Dhamotharan

~/Reflections

FlyDubai Internship

~/General

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