Saudi Arabia's first female commercial pilot wants others to soar in her flight path

A 29-year-old Saudi Arabian woman has become the first female first officer to fly a mainstream commercial plane in the kingdom.

Yasmeen Al Maimani piloted Nesma Airlines flight ATR72 from Hail to Al Qasim on June 9, making her mark on the world of aviation by becoming the first female first officer to fly a scheduled commerical service in Saudi Arabia.

“I did not expect to be the first and it feels so good to represent my country with this title,” she told The National.

Having trained in Jordan and the United States, Maimani swapped her pilot's licence for a Saudi Arabian one in 2013, but struggled to find work as most aviation positions in the country are traditionally held by men.

In February, Nesma Airlines offered Maimani a pilot trainee position. Four months later, it granted the aviator her commercial pilot’s permit.

Maimani’s inaugural flight as first officer was from Hail to Al Qasim return, then on to Tabuk before heading back to Hail. She shared a video from the cockpit of the flight on Instagram.

Being the only woman in a man’s world was something Maimani worried about, but her concerns were unfounded, she said.

“I thought it was going to be hard, being a female pilot based in Hail but it hasn’t been. I feel so comfortable with everyone else here, and the way they treat me. It’s like they are all my brothers, it’s a good feeling,” she said.

She now hopes to inspire young women who may be considering a career in the aviation.

I’d like to see more female pilots, this is my goal to open this door for everyone so that every girl or woman who dreams of becoming a pilot can see me, and be inspired to go ahead with their plan," she said.

Maimani’s achievement follows that of Hanadi Al Hind who in 2014 became the first female pilot in Saudi Arabia to get a licence in the cou ntry. Hind went on to fly privately for Kingdom Holding Company, owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Maimani started her career in various ground roles in aviation before going on to become the first woman to fly commercially. “I worked in flight operations, and in safety but I wasn’t happy there. Since I started flying with Nesma, every day is different," she said.

The National