Oman’s aviation industry has reached a landmark moment with the announcement of Oman Air pilot Maha Al-Balushi as the first female Omani captain. Al-Balushi officially received her new rank during a ceremony recently held at Oman Air’s headquarters in Muscat, the latest in a string of firsts she has achieved over her decade-long career with the airline.
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 honor to hold this role and I hope that I will inspire other Omani women to choose such a rewarding career in the skies.”
Captain Moosa Al-Shidhani, senior vice president flight operations at Oman Air, added: “We are thrilled to have 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 honored to play a leading role in its progress by continuing to nurture Omani talent in all areas of our operations.”
Al-Balushi has been with Oman Air since 2010, after graduating from the cadet program at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, the only woman who was enrolled in the program at the time. She also made waves when she became Oman’s first female first officer in 2013.
Oman Air pursues a proactive policy of recognizing talented and qualified women and supporting them to excel within their chosen careers. Today, more than 1,230 Omani female employees contribute to the airline’s strength and represent a range of levels and roles including cabin crew, flight operations, engineering, airport services, marketing, customer services, sales and communications. Meanwhile, having achieved an Omanization rate of 94 percent (excluding female cabin crew), the airline provides rich and varied career development opportunities, as well as internships and graduate training programs that expand horizons for young Omanis.
