Female pilots touch the sky

Royal Jordanian flight number 132 landed safely on October 18 at Queen Alia International Airport, back from Athens was led by Captain Carol Rabadi and co-pilot Hadeel Khamash, an all-women cockpit and cabin crew, thus recording a first for Jordanian and aviation history.

Left: Captain Carol Rabadi (left) and co-pilot Hadeel Khamash

Since the establishment of RJ, two other women were awarded the same rank and flew, but with men pilots.

RJ Head of Flight Operations Captain Haitham Misto decorated Carol Rabadi with the four-stripe captain badge at a special ceremony arranged by the airline. The all-female crew consisting of six women, and a large number of local and Arab media representatives attended the ceremony.

Captain Rabadi said her first flight as captain, together with co-pilot Khamash will be a landmark in her life and the airline’s history where women play a major role. She praised the support and training RJ gives its women employees who work in all the departments, including the operational and engineering sectors.

Rabadi underlined that her success in this career, which requires skill, accuracy and great responsibility, is also due to her colleagues’ permanent encouragement during her training. At the same time, during the training, which included aviation sciences, Rabadi said she benefited from RJ, which holds the highest safety standards and commitment to international rules and regulations.

Captain Misto said that Royal Jordanian represents an advanced and sophisticated sector of the society and is a leading national company where men and women work side by side to operate safe and comfortable flights and offer distinguished services.