From pilots to air traffic controllers, UAE women lead the way in aviation sector

From pilots to air traffic controllers, UAE women lead the way in aviation sector

Dubai: For as long as she can remember, aviation has been a lifelong calling for 29-year-old Nouf Al Shehhi. Shortly after graduating from high school, Nouf, a First Officer with Dubai carrier flydubai, dabbled in IT and engineering only to realise it wasn’t something she could see herself doing for a long time.

“I started my theoretical flight training in Oxford, where I found myself often counting down the minutes until I could take to the skies. I’ll never forget my first day in the cockpit,” she said.

After graduating from Fujairah Aviation Academy in 2018 as a commercial pilot with 220 flying hours, she joined flydubai as a First Officer Cadet. “Since then, there’s been no turning back. I also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Management,” said Nouf.

And despite the remarkable strides the UAE has made, entering a traditionally male-dominated industry remains daunting, according to her. Fortunately, increased recruitment efforts by airlines and industry players have enabled UAE women to shatter the longstanding challenges in the aviation sector, breaking through the metaphorical glass ceiling.

Take Jumana Aljasmi, an Air Traffic Management Systems Specialist at Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS), for example. Jumana decided aviation was the place to be after reconnecting