Kingdom’s first woman pilot has high ‘hopes’ to soar with Saudia

JEDDAH: The Kingdom’s first woman pilot, Hanadi Zakaria Al-Hindi, 37, is optimistic about receiving the green signal from Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) to fly its commercial aircraft.
“I am studying offers from various UAE airlines to fly commercial planes, but still hope to be able to enter into a contract with Saudia,” she told the Emirati site, Seven Days.
About those who might mock her dream to work as a pilot in a country that does not allow women to drive four-wheelers, she responded, “I think it’s better to have a driver in order to avoid the suffering of looking for a parking spot, but piloting an aircraft is a profession, and the question of driving does not occupy Saudi women.”
Al-Hindi recently participated in the Arab Women’s Forum in Aviation in Dubai after completion of her contract with the company of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
She expressed her appreciation to Prince Alwaleed, saying that he is one of her biggest supporters after her father in achieving the commercial pilot license from the Kingdom.
She said she benefited tremendously from the experience working with Prince Alwaleed, who owns a fleet of aircraft.