Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri have become the first Emirati women to command Emirates aircraft, both now flying the Boeing 777.
Two Emirati pilots have made history at Emirates. Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri have been promoted to captain, becoming the first Emirati women to reach the rank at the airline. Both now command the Boeing 777 fleet from the carrier’s main hub at Dubai International Airport.
The airline confirmed the news on June 4, 2026. Both pilots received their fourth stripe earlier this year. For Jawad and Al Mheiri, it marked the close of a long climb that started with a cadet badge and a dream of flying.
Emirates called the moment a pivotal step in its push to support Emirati women in aviation. Captain Hassan Alhammadi, the airline’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Flight Operations, said Emirates has long worked to develop UAE nationals as part of its professional workforce.
Emirati Female Captains Rise Through the Cadet Pilot Programme
Both women came up through the Emirates Group’s National Cadet Pilot Programme, a fully funded training scheme that has produced many Emirati pilots over the years.
Hanan Mohammed Jawad joined Emirates in 2008. She has logged 9,253 flying hours across her career, moving steadily through the ranks with mentorship and backing from the airline’s fleet management. She traced her ambition to a single moment as a teenager. At 14, she watched the UAE’s first female pilot on television, and the image stuck with her.
“Receiving my fourth stripe is a proud milestone, but I don’t see it as the destination,” Jawad said. She added that her years as a First Officer prepared her for command, and that she does not believe the sky is the limit.
Bakhita Al Mheiri started her journey as a cadet pilot in 2011. She was inspired by the Emirati women already flying before her and pushed through one milestone after another to build her career. She credited her growth to the training captains and leaders who guided her along the way.
“Their experience, professionalism, and willingness to share knowledge not only strengthened my technical and leadership skills but also shaped me personally,” Al Mheiri said.
Boeing 777 Command Marks a Milestone for Women in UAE Aviation
The two captains now operate the Boeing 777, one of the largest twin-engine aircraft in the world, on routes across the airline’s global network. Reaching the flight deck of a wide-body jet as a commanding officer is no small feat. It takes years of service, thousands of hours, and a long stretch as a First Officer before the fourth stripe is earned.
The promotions land at a time when Emirates is leaning harder into its Emiratisation goals. The airline framed the achievement as proof that homegrown talent can rise to the top of commercial aviation, and as a signal to the next generation of Emirati women weighing a career in the cockpit.
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