Muscat Oman in the recent times has seen women taking up professions that have been dominated by men such as heavy vehicle driving instructors, taxi drivers, public prosecutors and even ministers.
And, now Azza Bint Said Bin Rashid Al Zakwani is all set to take her place in the cockpit of Oman Air's commercial flight. By next year she hopes to be the first Omani woman to fly a commercial flight.
"Flying has been my dream ever since I was a child and as I grew older my desire got stronger and stronger," Azza told Gulf News in an interview carried through email.
She is currently training hard in New Zealand for her commercial pilot's licence. "Here I am in New Zealand training hard and almost fulfilling my dreams," she quipped.
Her association with the airline industry has been a long affair of 10 years as she served with the Oman Aviation Services as their ground staff at the Seeb International Airport.
While she was working as a ground staff, Azza kept her desire to learn flying burning and in her quest to become a pilot, her husband backed to the hilt.
"My husband has been wonderfully supportive of my desire to become an airline pilot and my parents too have been very encouraging, brothers and sisters as well," Azza said. Asked when does she plan to fly for Oman Air or for that matter any other airline, she said: "Some time next year."
Azza doesn't agree that girls only think of becoming air hostesses. "Women are increasingly filling positions that were once dominated by men. This is also true about Arab women in general and in Omani women in particular," she believes. Azza added that she was happy and proud to be part of the change where women are walking shoulder to shoulder with men.
Azza believes that women in Oman can do everything or most things that the men can do. "If girls have enough determination and support in Oman they have ability to do what man can do."
"I was initially apprehensive to approach the Oman Air Executive President Abdul Rahman Bin Harith Al Busaidi. "He was very receptive to the idea," and has assured her of a position as a pilot once she successfully completes her training.
Talking about her training, Azza said: "There is an awful lot of things that I have to learn, navigation, weather changes, engines etc." The training, she reckons, is tough but with sheer hard work she is coping with it.
