Emirates has announced the promotion of Emirati pilots Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri to the rank of Captain, making them the first Emirati women to hold this position at the airline on Boeing 777 aircraft. The step reflects Emirates\u2019 continued focus on developing national talent and strengthening the presence of Emirati women in the aviation sector.<\/p>\n
The airline said the achievement comes after a long professional journey for both pilots, who began their careers through Emirates\u2019 National Cadet Pilot program. The program has played an important role in training and preparing Emirati talent to work in aviation according to high professional standards.<\/p>\n
Hanan Mohammed Jawad: A Dream That Began in Childhood<\/strong><\/p>\n Hanan Mohammed Jawad joined Emirates in 2008 through the National Cadet Pilot program. From an early age, she had a strong passion for aviation and a clear ambition to reach the flight deck.<\/p>\n Over the years, Jawad received continuous support and guidance from the airline\u2019s operations teams and fleet management, which helped her progress steadily in her career until she reached the rank of Captain.<\/p>\n Hanan Mohammed Jawad has recorded more than 9,253 flying hours, a figure that reflects the strong experience she has gained through years of training, work, and handling the requirements of commercial aviation.<\/p>\n Jawad said her dream began when she was 14 years old, after seeing the first Emirati woman Captain on television. She explained that the pilot\u2019s confidence and presence had a deep impact on her, and from that moment, her goal was to become a Captain.<\/p>\n She added that receiving the fourth stripe is an achievement she is very proud of, but it is not the end of the journey. Instead, she sees it as the beginning of a new stage of ambition and responsibility. She also noted that reaching the rank of Captain was the result of years of experience and learning, and that her previous role as Senior First Officer helped prepare her for this moment.<\/p>\n Bakhita Al Mheiri: A Journey Built on Experience and Support<\/strong><\/p>\n Bakhita Al Mheiri began her journey with Emirates in 2011 through the National Cadet Pilot program, inspired by the success of Emirati women pilots who came before her in the field.<\/p>\n Driven by her strong passion for aviation, Al Mheiri continued to develop her professional and technical skills, moving through different stages of her career until she achieved the milestone of becoming a Captain on the Boeing 777.<\/p>\n Al Mheiri said that the support and guidance she received at Emirates had a clear impact on her career, especially from training leaders and senior pilots, who helped her strengthen both her technical and leadership skills.<\/p>\n She explained that the experience she gained throughout her journey taught her the importance of responsibility, discipline, and continuous learning. She also said that reaching the rank of Captain had long been a goal she worked toward for many years.<\/p>\n Al Mheiri added that, in her new role, she looks forward to supporting and guiding the next generation of male and female pilots, sharing knowledge and experience with them in a way that contributes to the future of aviation and the continued success of the UAE.<\/p>\n An Achievement That Strengthens the Role of Emirati Women in Aviation<\/strong><\/p>\n The fourth stripe earned by Hanan Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri this year represents a notable achievement in the journey of Emirates. It reflects years of commitment, hard work, and professional experience.<\/p>\n The milestone also highlights the airline\u2019s success in preparing national talent and enabling them to reach leadership positions in the aviation sector, while supporting the growing role of Emirati women in professional fields that require precision, discipline, and continuous training.<\/p>\n Both pilots also shared an inspiring message with Emirati girls who hope to enter the world of aviation, stressing that ambition begins with believing in oneself, and that continuous work can turn dreams into reality, even when they may seem difficult at first.<\/p>\n Emirates Reaffirms Its Commitment to Developing National Talent<\/strong><\/p>\n Captain Hassan Al Hammadi, Emirates\u2019 Senior Vice President of Flight Operations, said the airline continues to support and develop Emirati national talent, enabling them to contribute effectively across different areas of the business.<\/p>\n He explained that the cadet pilot program plays an important role in providing a clear career path for young Emirati men and women who want to build their future as professional pilots. This also supports efforts to prepare the next generation of pilots and strengthen the sustainability of the UAE\u2019s aviation sector.<\/p>\n He added that the achievement of Hanan and Bakhita as the first Emirati women to become Captains at Emirates is well deserved. It reflects their commitment, professionalism, and continuous hard work, while also confirming the airline\u2019s ability to develop national talent and prepare them for senior positions in aviation.<\/p>\n Environmental Efforts in Plastic Recycling<\/strong><\/p>\n In another area, Emirates said it recycled and reused more than 88,000 kilograms of plastic materials last year from meal service items used in Economy Class. These materials were turned into new products that are used again on the airline\u2019s flights.<\/p>\n The company also said it invested more than AED 50 million in moving toward a manufacturing model based on a closed-loop recycling system for onboard meal service items, supporting its efforts to enhance sustainability within its operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Emirates has promoted Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri to the rank of Captain on Boeing 777 aircraft, marking an important achievement that reflects the airline\u2019s support for national talent and the growing role of Emirati women in aviation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[256],"class_list":["post-15216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-stories","tag-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15216"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15218,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15216\/revisions\/15218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}