Emirates has promoted Hanan Mohammed Jawad and Bakhita Al Mheiri to captain, making them the first Emirati female captains at the airline. Both fly the Boeing 777 fleet and rose through the Emirates Group’s National Cadet Pilot Programme in Dubai.
The promotions place two more Emirati pilots in senior command roles at one of the Gulf’s largest carriers, where the Boeing 777 remains a core long-haul workhorse. Emirates linked the appointments to its broader effort to develop national aviation talent and to increase the visibility of women in the cockpit.
Jawad and Al Mheiri each received their fourth stripe this year, formalising their move into captaincy. The airline’s cadet pathway has become a key route into its flight deck ranks, supporting Emiratisation across operations while also widening representation in a profession where female captains remain uncommon in the region.