Emirates Makes History With First Emirati Female Captains

After years moving through simulators, training flights, and the structured pathways of Emirates’ cadet programme, Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri are now the airline’s first Emirati female captains. Having reached their fourth captain’s stripe in 2026 after years of progression, both now operate the Boeing 777 fleet. Hanan’s path began long before she ever entered a cockpit. At 14, she saw the UAE’s first female pilot on television — a moment that stayed with her and quietly set a direction for the years that followed. She joined Emirates in 2008 and has since built more than 9,000 flying hours, moving through the airline’s training phases and operational flying until reaching command through steady accumulation of experience rather than a single defining leap. Bakhita’s journey began later, in 2011, when she entered Emirates’ cadet programme at its earliest stage. From simulator training to structured flight preparation and line operations, her progression followed the programme’s step-by-step pathway into commercial aviation. Along the way, mentorship from training captains and senior instructors shaped her approach, reinforcing the discipline and decision-making required in the cockpit. Across both careers, progression has been measured less in moments than in repetition: hours in simulators, flights completed, assessments passed, and responsibilities gradually expanding until captaincy becomes the natural endpoint of a long, structured ascent.