Oman Air celebrates country's first female captain

The airline promoted Maha Al Balushi who has been with the company since 2010

Maha Al Balushi received her new rank during a ceremony held at Oman Air’s headquarters in Muscat, Oman. Photo: Oman Air

Oman Air, the national airline of the sultanate, has announced pilot Maha Al Balushi as the first female Omani captain.

Ms Al Balushi officially received her new rank during a ceremony held at Oman Air’s headquarters in Muscat.

She has been with the airline since 2010 after graduating from the cadet programme at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, in Australia.

Ms Al Balushi was the only woman enrolled in the programme at the time.

She became the first female Omani to be awarded the rank of first officer in 2013.

“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,” said Ms Al Balushi in a statement by Oman Air.

“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.”

Oman Air said that 1,230 Omani female employees contribute to the airline’s strength, occupying a range of roles including cabin crew, flight operations, engineering, airport services, marketing, customer services, sales and communications.

The airline has so far achieved an Omanisation rate of 94 per cent — excluding female cabin crew.