Oman Air continues to support women in the workplace

Oman Air’s commitment is in line with the directives of Sultan Qaboos regarding the empowerment of women, and mirrors the role of women in the broader Omani society. The country is recognised as one of the big supporters of gender equality in the region. 

Women currently comprise of more than 30 per cent of Oman Air’s workforce. The airline pursues a proactive policy of recognising talented and qualified women, and providing the necessary support for them to excel within their chosen careers. Women are well-represented in a range of roles, including engineering, airport management, airport services, marketing, customer services, cabin crew, flight operations, sales and communications. 

Chief executive officer of Oman Air, Paul Gregorowitsch, said: "Oman Air is recognised as one of the leading companies in the Sultanate offering women a safe and supportive employment environment. Women comprise a vital and increasing proportion of our workforce. They are represented at virtually every level of the company. And they have made an important contribution to the ongoing success of Oman Air. 

“It is therefore with pride and pleasure that we support The Omani Women’s Day. We also reaffirm our commitment to the employment and career development of women in the workplace. 

“I would also like to thank the many women who have contributed so much to Oman Air’s success. They helped to ensure that Oman Air is the airline of First Choice. They have also set an outstanding benchmark to those women who are now at the start of their careers. 

“We look forward to welcoming many more women to Oman Air over the coming months and years.” 

Oman Air’s positive approach to employing and supporting women in the workplace is part of a broader human resources strategy. This recognises the skills, abilities and potential of all colleagues, regardless of their backgrounds. 

With women undertaking a wide range of prominent roles within Oman Air, individual experiences vary widely. However, the constructive and supportive environment offered by the airline is appreciated throughout the company. 

Jumana Al Hassani, a staff member at Cargo Division says each day brings a different challenge. 

“Working in the Cargo Division, I come across different situations, each requiring a different approach.  With the right guidance and support from my colleagues, I have been able to handle the issues fairly well. I am ambitious and I want to progress in my career and at Oman Air I feel that I can.” 

Asma Al Sharji, from Ground Operations, who has worked at Oman Air for over two decades, said: “Before I joined Oman Air, I saw ground handling jobs as being traditionally male occupations. Now I have been doing the job for some time, I can see that Oman Air’s policy of supporting women to take up any role within the company has created many new opportunities for women. There are now lots of women working in ground handling and I look forward to developing my career in the future.” 

Maliha Al Bahlani, a long-serving member of staff working currently with the Network and Planning Department says that a demanding job which is well appreciated provides good motivation 

“With new aircraft arriving and new routes being planned, Oman Air is extremely busy at the moment. It is a demanding job, but seeing women in a range of senior roles throughout the company is very motivating. They show that Oman Air recognises talent and hard work, regardless of your gender. For someone like me, who wants to reach the top, that is really important and I think Oman Air deserves recognition for their progressive policies.” 

The range of employment opportunities for women at Oman Air is wide and varied and includes the Finance Department, where Sheikha Al Hassani works. She said: “In many ways, the Finance Department is the ‘engine room’ of Oman Air. Finance is central to all the company’s operations and gives us a very good overview of how the company works, how it grows and how important it is to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. As a woman who wants to develop her career, the support I have received has been excellent. I look forward to using the knowledge I have gained in the Finance Department to benefit other areas of the business and to ensuring that Oman Air stays at the top.”

Cabin crew has traditionally been seen as a role that is predominantly suitable for women. However, the increased number of male cabin crew at Oman Air underlines the fact that all roles are open to both men and women. Khadija Al Hamdani, working in the Crew Grooming Department comments: 

“I love my job, and enjoy making sure that our customers enjoy their flights. It is a job I want to stay in for the time being, but seeing more and more male cabin crew join Oman Air shows that all jobs are open to both men and women. That is an important message to send out to all the women who work at Oman Air – and you can see that it is having an impact. There are women working in senior jobs at Oman Air, both on the ground and in the air. It shows that when it comes to women building a successful career at Oman Air, the sky’s the limit!”