This woman is the first female Emirati commercial airline captain

Aisha Al Mansoori has become the first Emirati woman captain of a commercial airline in the United Arab Emirates. The 33-year-old captain, who operates for Etihad, joined the airline’s pilot cadet programme in October 2007 and was one of only two Emirati women in her class. In 2010, the future captain graduated from the programme with her first flight on an Airbus A320 in Amman, Jordan.

Several steps up the ladder

Since then, Aisha Al Mansoori has risen through the ranks, accumulating the necessary flight hours to become a senior first officer and eventually the first Emirati woman to fly the Airbus A380 superjumbo.

To achieve the rank of captain, Al Mansoori had to complete Etihad’s checks and balances programme, a mandatory number of flying hours and pass the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority‘s theoretical and piloting exams. As a result, she became the first Emirati woman captain to hold an airline pilot’s licence in the UAE.

A first for UAE Women’s Day

“Aviation is gender-neutral and to prove themselves, Etihad pilots undergo intensive examinations and meet strict flight hour requirements to ensure the highest training standards in international aviation are met,” Mohammad Al Bulooki, group operations director of Etihad Aviation was quoted as saying in Gulf News. Aisha has earned her rank and will no doubt inspire her fellow Emiratis and young women around the world to pursue their dreams in aviation.”

Le 28 août, Aisha Al Mansoorieffectuera son premier vol commercial en tant que commandant de bord capitaine chez Etihad, un jour qui marque également la Journée de la femme émiratie.