There are women pilots and then there’s Salma Al Baloushi, who some say ranks alongside Amelia Earhart. The first Emirati woman aviator to rise to the rank of first officer at Etihad Airways, she has found fame beyond our shores at the tender age of 24, making it to The 100 Greatest Women in Aviation, a book chronicling the record-breaking achievements of women in the history of the sector. Also in the book is Aisha Al Mansoori.
“I aim to uphold my country’s name up in the sky,” beams Salma.
The Al Ain native joined Etihad Airways in 2007 as part of the airline’s second group of cadet pilots. She completed her initial training at the Horizon International Flight Academy in Al Ain, studying the basics of flying, navigation and various associated technical subjects. After more than two years of training, she received her wings in 2009 and was promoted to Second Officer.
But Salma’s journey did not end here. She has completed further ground school technical and aircraft systems training, spent time in Etihad’s A320 full-flight simulator and trained in the development of non-technical skills applicable to working in a multi-crew environment. Finally, after a gruelling 18 months, she completed her final checks and was qualified as Etihad’s first Emirati female A320 co-pilot, graduating to the rank of First Officer alongside nine male colleagues. She believes that her connection to flying is an old one: “I’ve always loved being in two places (Airports and Hospitals). These are the places where you can meet people from different countries and different backgrounds and cultures.”
For now, she’s aiming higher. “I’m thinking about enriching my knowledge of the aviation industry by studying for a degree in aviation, and this would help me greatly in the future,” she says. She also wants to be a role model for her contemporaries: “In five to ten years I want to see myself as a very successful pilot in Etihad Airways and by doing so set an example for the upcoming generations and help them become active members in the community.”
