Balqis Al-Faraj Becomes Saudia Airlines’ First Female Pilot
Al-Faraj's reported milestone therefore relates specifically to becoming Saudia Airlines’ first female pilot, rather than the first Saudi woman to qualify as a pilot.
Saudi aviator Balqis Al-Faraj has completed her training as an Airbus A320 First Officer, becoming the first female pilot at Saudia Airlines, according to reports circulating in Saudi media.
Al-Faraj was celebrated as a “daughter of the homeland” following the completion of her training to serve as a First Officer on the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.
The milestone represents another step in the growing participation of Saudi women in the Kingdom’s aviation industry, where women are increasingly taking up operational and technical roles alongside positions across the wider travel and tourism sector.
A First Officer is a fully qualified commercial pilot who serves as the second pilot in the cockpit alongside the aircraft’s captain and shares responsibility for operating the flight.
Al-Faraj’s reported milestone therefore relates specifically to becoming Saudia Airlines’ first female pilot, rather than the first Saudi woman to qualify as a pilot.
Saudi women had entered professional aviation before Al-Faraj, obtaining pilot licences and working with other aviation companies and carriers in the Kingdom.
Saudi Women Expand Their Presence in Aviation
Women’s participation in Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector has expanded in recent years alongside wider economic and social changes under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme.
Saudi women are now working across different areas of aviation, including cockpit operations, cabin crew, air traffic-related services, airport operations and other technical and administrative positions.
Al-Faraj’s completion of Airbus A320 First Officer training adds another milestone to that changing landscape, this time within Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier.
