EgyptAir Launches Its First Two All Women-Crew Flights

With President Al-Sisi promising that 2017 is going to be the women’s year in Egypt, many companies and organizations have seem to joined the cause, and EgyptAir is no different. Just this Wednesday, EgyptAir launched two flights with a women-only crew for the first time in the company’s history.

The two flights departed from Cairo to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. The first flight headed to Abu Dhabi was an Airbus 330 and was led by Captain Hasnaa Taymour. The second flight heading to Kuwait was a Boeing 737 and led by Captain Heba Darwish. Captain Hasnaa Taymour was also honored by President Al-Sisi on Tuesday, just one day before her flight, at the celebration of Mother’s Day and Egypt’s Women’s Day.

Captian Hasnaa Taymour was the first female pilot in EgyptAir. She was hired in 1995 and started as a co-pilot and became a pilot in 2009. She put her pharmaceutical studies aside after finding an ad about applying for the aviation academy without any gender specifications.

“I was in the second grade in the Faculty of Pharmacy when I accidentally read an ad about the enrollment criteria at the Egyptian Aviation Academy without the gender being specified. I found out that the criteria applied to me. I consulted my father and he encouraged me to go through the academy’s tests, which I passed successfully,” said Taymour.

As for Captain Heba Darwish studied aviation in the US and worked for EgyptAir where she gradually progressed until she led a Boeing 727-800.

EgyptAir currently has three female pilots and seven female co-pilots.

WE SAID THIS: We couldn’t be more proud of these ladies, and here’s to hoping it becomes the norm.