Arkia Airlines Certifies First Female Jet Captain, Following Her Father's Footsteps

Arkia Airlines has certified its first female jet captain, marking a historic milestone for the airline. Adar Madutzki completed her training and was certified as a captain on the Airbus A320/321 fleet, joining her father Tal Madutzki, who has been a captain at Arkia for over 15 years. This achievement makes them the first father-daughter pair to serve simultaneously as captains at the company. While Adar flies the Airbus fleet, her father commands the Embraer aircraft.

Women remain a small minority among Israeli airline pilots. As of 2025, El Al had seven female pilots out of approximately 650, including three female captains. Israir recently increased its number of female pilots to seven, about 10% of its operational pilots, after recruiting three women among 15 new pilots. Israir has also had female captains, and in 2021 operated a flight with both a female captain and first officer in the cockpit.

Yotam Galon, Arkia's Vice President of Operations, praised the milestone, calling it an emotional day for the airline and highlighting the family legacy and professionalism it represents. Adar Madutzki, who trained in the United States and worked there as a flight instructor before joining Arkia, previously spoke about the challenges of being one of few women in aviation. At 31, she expressed pride in her achievements and ambition to inspire others. Her certification as a jet captain three years later marks a significant career milestone for both her and Arkia Airlines.