Appointed to diverse positions across Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal, women are playing a critical function in the airline’s rapid growth trajectory — and more widely, the Kingdom’s dramatic transformation via its Vision 2030.
Some one-third of flyadeal’s 1,800-strong staff are women. And while the carrier isn’t working against a set target of women hires, it confides to Runway Girl Network that “there has been a spike in the number of females applying and successfully being recruited in roles across the company.”
In 2022, in a historic moment for Saudi Arabia, flyadeal operated the first domestic flight in the Kingdom with an all-women crew. The fast-growing airline is presently actively recruiting Airbus A320 captains, first officers and cabin crew.
But outside of these frontline roles, women are embracing positions across flyadeal’s business including, it confirms, in the airline’s nerve center — operations control.
“I have seen firsthand multiple opportunities that women can embrace across commercial, procurement, HR, operations, customer service, safety, finance and much, much more within an airline,” flyadeal head of marketing and customer experience Hazar Hafiz said late last year as a speaker at the annual Women in Aviation (Middle East) General Assembly in Riyadh.
A relative “newcomer” to the airline industry, Hafiz joined flyadeal in 2022 with 18 years’ of marketing experience under her belt, having previously supported the Kingdom’s healthcare, real estate, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) and retail sectors. She has since worked on several initiatives to elevate the flyadeal brand.
“It’s an exciting industry which I know now that once in, it’s difficult to leave,” she said.
Rawan Aljehani, who serves as flyadeal’s head of digital, data & business intelligence also spoke at the event, highlighting some of the strengths that women bring to the workplace.
“With our ability towards paying attention to detail, structured thinking and strong analytical skills, the technological side of aviation is just a natural environment for women to unleash our full potential,” she said.
“Aviation needs more women with technical expertise as these roles will help define the future of airlines, airports and aviation systems. flyadeal has given me the opportunity to excel in my specialist area of data analysis, able to use my skills and fuse it with the business side of running an airline. In applying the technical know-how with a commercial hat on, it’s been a fascinating, challenging, motivating and inspiring journey.”
flyadeal’s female high fliers: Hazar Hafiz, head of marketing and customer experience (left), and Rawan Aljehani, head of digital, data & business intelligence (right) pictured with Mervat Sultan, founder and president of the Women in Aviation Middle East chapter, at the organization’s annual assembly in Riyadh.
A data scientist and business intelligence specialist with experience in statistics, market research and reporting, Aljehani joined flyadeal as a revenue management analyst almost since the airline’s inception, over eight years ago. Since becoming head of the department, she has spearheaded the company’s digital mandate and adopted business intelligence applications to support flyadeal’s commercial performance and overall strategic decision making.
The carrier’s efforts to digitalize are notable, with flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway telling RGN last year that it is now mulling whether or not to bring inflight connectivity to the fleet. While we’re told that there’s “no news yet,” the forthcoming Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg may be the opportunity to make an announcement.
What’s clear is that women are on the march at flyadeal and in Saudi Arabia.
“We have women who have embraced roles across our business and demonstrated they can truly make a difference in their chosen fields,” said Greenway, noting that Hafiz and Aljehani “have embodied the spirit of working in a dynamic industry where they have the opportunity to carve out successful careers.”
The Women in Aviation (Middle East) General Assembly brings together delegates from leading aviation companies in Saudi Arabia and the region, as well as educational establishments and graduates and undergraduates who are exploring careers in the industry. Like flyadeal, it too is very much committed to Vision 2030, noting that it “paves the way for women to be provided equal opportunities across all economic sectors, by emphasizing that a prosperous, contemporary nation must inspire and empower all members of society, including women.”
Sharing a statement on LinkedIn about her participation in the General Assembly, Aljehani said: “What made this experience even more meaningful was seeing the strength, authenticity, and vision of women leaders across the aviation ecosystem. I felt genuinely proud listening to the insights shared, the journeys discussed, and the impact these leaders are creating through digital transformation, data, and innovation.”
Related Articles:
- flyadeal CEO on why the LCC is growing quickly
- Cheryl Carter on finding her purpose in aerospace quality
- The story of Captain Qadar Sarfraz and her digital pilot academy
All images credited to flyadeal
