Emirates Promotes Two Emirati Women to Captain for the First Time

Emirates has promoted two women from the United Arab Emirates to captain, the first such move in the airline’s history. The new captains are Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Khitha Al-Mheiri, who completed Emirates Group’s National Cadet Program and now fly Boeing 777 aircraft as full captains.

The cadet program, launched in 1993, is described by the airline as one of the most comprehensive training tracks in aviation. It combines classroom study with intensive practical training at Emirates’ flight academy, and over the years it has produced hundreds of pilots who advanced to senior command roles at Emirates and across the UAE aviation sector.

Jawad said her path began at age 14, when she saw an Emirati female pilot on television and decided she wanted to become a pilot. She joined the cadet program in 2008 and has logged more than 9,000 flight hours over her career. Al-Mheiri joined Emirates in 2011 and said she was inspired by earlier generations of women pilots, advancing step by step through discipline, continuous learning, and passing on knowledge to younger pilots.

Emirates said the promotions reflect a long-term investment in local talent and in advancing women into key aviation roles. The airline said the achievement is not only personal for the two pilots, but also an important milestone for the next generation of Emirati women in aviation. The new captains said the company offers real opportunities to grow and succeed, and that the future of aviation is more open than ever to women.