December 13, 2017: Ethiopian Airlines has announced its first all-female crew flight to Nigeria.
The airline said women would be expected to fill every role on the flight, from the pilots and cabin crew to in flight ramp operations as well as flight dispatchers on the ground.
The airline quoted the pilot, Capt. Amsale Gualu, as saying during an earlier all-female operated flight to Bangkok from Addis Ababa, “This flight shows us that if women get equal opportunities and work hard, I’m sure they can achieve whatever they want in all fields including the aviation industry.”
The airline said, “In a country where few women have dared to enter the highly male-dominated profession of piloting, Capt. Amsale Guale in 2010 became the first Ethiopian female captain by flying an Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier from Addis Ababa to Gondar.
“We want to promote women’s empowerment and encourage more African women to pursue aviation career. Although one-third of our employees are women, the figure is smaller when it comes to positions such as pilots and technicians.”