Female pilots make up only around 5 per cent of the global flightdeck crew – and the figure is as low as half that in some countries in the Middle East.

But the region is making great efforts to address this imbalance, and there is cause for optimism.

Women make up over 50 per cent of STEM students in the Middle East, well above the global average.

Bahraini trailblazer

One trailblazer is Yasmeen Fraidoon, Gulf Air’s first female Bahraini Captain, who rose through the ranks after joining the airline in 2008 as a second officer, following a stint at the Qatar Aeronautical College.

The region is also making strides to mend the generational imbalance by encouraging younger people to join the workforce.

The Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship Foundation, for example, is supporting women into the industry.

This and so much more is earmarking MENA as a region that is making progress towards breaking down the barriers for women and all age groups in aerospace and aviation.
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