Oman Air appoints first Omani female...

Maha Al Balushi received her new rank during a ceremony held at the Oman Air’s headquarters

Oman Air pilot Maha Al Balushi has been announced as the first female Omani Captain.

Al Balushi officially received her new rank during a ceremony recently held at the Oman Air’s headquarters in Muscat, the latest in a string of firsts she has achieved over her decade-long career with the airline.

Speaking about the announcement, Al Balushi said: “My dream has always been to become a Captain. It hasn’t been easy but thanks to the support I have around me, from my family to my training team and the airline, I have accomplished what I set out to do. It is an honour to hold this role and I hope that I will inspire other Omani women to choose such a rewarding career in the skies.”

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Oman Air senior vice president flight operations Captain Moosa Al Shidhani: "We are thrilled to have Ms Al Balushi as our first female Omani Captain, and we believe this is just the beginning of great things to come. This is not just a milestone for our airline but for Oman’s aviation industry, and we are honoured to play a leading role in its progress by continuing to nurture Omani talent in all areas of our operations."

Maha Al Balushi has been with the airline since 2010, after graduating from the cadet programme at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia, the only woman who was enrolled in the programme at the time.

Oman Air currently employs 1,230 Omani women in a range of levels and roles including cabin crew, flight operations, engineering, airport services, marketing, customer services, sales and communications.

Having achieved an 'Omanisation' rate of 94% (excluding female cabin crew), the airline aims to provide varied career development opportunities for locals, as well as internships and graduate training programmes for young Omanis.

For more information, visit www.omanair.com