Saudi Arabia allowed women to fly a plane for the first time in 2014, although these were isolated cases at the time.
Photo: Flyadeal
Saudi airline Flyadal has made history in the country’s civil aviation with an allfemale flight. As The National reported on Sunday, the lowcost subsidiary of Saudia’s largest national airline operated a domestic flight on the Riyadh Jeddah route with the Airbus A320. Most of the passengers on board were Saudi nationals.
All seven crew members, including pilots and flight attendants, were women, and first officer Yara Yan is the youngest among the Saudi pilots. Airline spokesman Imad Iskandarani said most of the crew were from Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, after giving women more rights and opportunities in the Kingdom, Saudi women have managed to prove themselves in many sectors, including aviation. In 2019, 29yearold Yasmine alMaimani became the first senior officer to fly an airliner in the country.
Women were allowed to fly planes in Saudi Arabia in 2014, although these were isolated cases at the time. In 2018, a Saudi aviation academy was opened on the basis of the first flight department of the Oxford Aviation Academy in the Middle East and North Africa, training pilots, including women, says the Russian agency TASS.
According to the National Statistics Office, the number of employed women increased to 33% in 2020 compared to 19% in 2016.
By 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to attract US$95 billion in investments in the aviation industry. The sector development strategy aims to increase connecting flights from Saudi Arabia to 250 destinations and reach 330 million passengers. The Kingdom plans to establish another airline and build a major international airport in Riyadh.