Youngest Emirati female pilot tells Al Arabiya: My gender was never an obstacle

[Saif al-Arab]

Youngest Emirati female pilot tells Al Arabiya: My gender was never an obstacle

Muhairi has been a first officer for Emirates Airlines since 2012 and is now pushing for more of women in the UAE to join her rank. (Al Arabiya)​

Staff writer, Al Arabiya English
Thursday, 9 March 2017

Emirati Alia al-Muhairi has been basking in the spotlight ever since an ad campaign showing her co-pilot the first all-female Arab crew to fly an Airbus A380 made the headlines on Wednesday.

In honor of International Women’s Day on Wednesday, Emirates Airlines released a video of Captain Nevin Darwish and First Officer Muhairi as they transported passengers from the UAE to Vienna.

Muhairi told Al Arabiya News Channel the fact that she was being considered the youngest Emirati female pilot to fly an A380 especially on a day commemorating women did not go unnoticed by her.

“Thankfully my country, the United Arab Emirates, opened up opportunities for women to enter this field. Aviation is obviously dominated by men so I thought why can’t I, as a woman, try out for the job. I’m no less than my male counterparts,” Muhairi told Al Arabiya.



While she said she received support from both family and country, there were some who had opposition to the idea of her one day becoming a female pilot.

“At first, my mother was scared for me and telling me it would be difficult to travel alone and such. There were also others in my society who said that customs and traditions forbade women from such fields. But at the end I gained all their support,” she said.

Muhairi has been a first officer for Emirates Airlines since 2012 and is now pushing for more of women in the UAE to join her rank.

“I have one friend who was inspired by my journey as a pilot and is now training in London. She is now succeeding and hopefully she’ll join me one day,” she said.

Muhairi told Al Arabiya that her immediate short-term goal is to one day become a captain but the ultimately become an aviation trainer and help the next generation of young pilots in the UAE.

Last Update: Thursday, 9 March 2017 KSA 15:09 - GMT 12:09

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/fe...-Arabiya-My-gender-was-never-an-obstacle.html

May she and other Arabian/Arab women follow in the footsteps of Queen Sheba, Queen Zenobia etc. and reach an immortal and legendary status.

 

[T-72M1]

nice 1, she's not in a garbage bag either, clearly her family are normal good people and not sallafi muslims.

 

[Pakistani E]

are normal good people

and not sallafi muslims

Are you saying you can't be a good person if you are a Salafi Muslim? My ancestors were Salafis and they were a people of great morality and piety. You need to tone down on topics you know little about.

 

[T-72M1]

Arab women are none of your concern and also out of your reach. Your "Salafi" nonsense has absolutely nothing to do with this thread either.

sallafism is the religion of ISIS, it's a big problem for the whole world, of course it's my business when even some in my country and being indoctrinated into that crap.

and admirable as she is, this woman in not representative of how women are treated in the arab world in general, and saudi arabia in specific, where they can't even go to a local store to fetch a newspaper, or buy some vegetables or whatever.

 

[Michael Corleone]

nice 1, she's not in a garbage bag either, clearly her family are normal good people and not sallafi muslims.

religion and good people got nothing to do with the topic.... there is a world outside india.... just what you see happening in india or elsewhere doesn't represent the majority... irrelevant comment

 

[Saif al-Arab]

sallafism is the religion of ISIS, it's a big problem for the whole world, of course it's my business when even some in my country and being indoctrinated into that crap.

and admirable as she is, this woman in not representative of how women are treated in the arab world in general, and saudi arabia in specific, where they can't even go to a local store to fetch a newspaper, or buy some vegetables or whatever.

Why is this clown allowed to troll useful threads with off-topic posts and moreover absurd lies? What's itching you? Arab women are none of your concern and out of your league as well.

Are you saying you can't be a good person if you are a Salafi Muslim? My ancestors were Salafis and they were a people of great morality and piety. You need to tone down on topics you know little about.

Salafi is just a code word for Muslims for his likes. I am a Shafi'i Sunni Muslim myself but I know his likes, their ideology and agenda. He is the banned CBU something. Of course even in a thread about an Emirati female pilot flying for Emirates (Emirati airline) he has to mention KSA.

religion and good people got nothing to do with the topic.... there is a world outside india.... just what you see happening in india or elsewhere doesn't represent the majority... irrelevant comment

Symptoms of a disturbed/obsessed individual.

 

[Saif al-Arab]