Etihad Airways has appointed Captain Huda Al Musallami as the first Emirati woman training captain in the UAE. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier timed the move to Emirati Women’s Day, highlighting a new senior role that will see her train and qualify pilots to the airline’s safety and professionalism standards.
Al Musallami joined Etihad in 2014, became a captain in 2023 and qualified as a type rating instructor in 2026. Her progression places her among the most senior Emirati women in the airline’s flight operations structure and adds another national figure to Etihad’s pilot development pipeline.
The appointment has wider relevance for UAE aviation, where the presence of Emirati women in flight deck leadership has expanded gradually across the major carriers. Etihad’s decision also underlines the continued visibility of national talent development within Gulf airlines, particularly in roles linked to training, standards and crew qualification.