As more work sectors open up to women in Saudi Arabia, local budget airline Flynas announced it will be hiring Saudi women to work as flight attendants.
In a statement to Saudi Gazette, the airline's officials said "the first flight with a Saudi female flight attendant would be during this month."
They also explained that the recently hired women have undergone extensive training for the role.
"We are the first Saudi national carrier to hire Saudi women in the Air Hospitality Program and the Future Flyers Program. The first group graduating from the Saudi flight program is a continuation of programs to localize aviation and empower women," Flynas added.
The company also revealed that their program of male and female flight attendants had attracted about 300 Saudi applicants in the past two years.
Saudi women are keen to join the aviation industry
According to Arabian Business, Saudi "women are not legally barred from working in the aviation sector, but jobs as flight attendants with Saudi carriers have largely been held by female foreign workers from countries such as the Philippines."
Flynas (formerly known as Nasair) announced plans to hire Saudi female flight attendants back in 2013 but didn't go through with them at the time.
Given the fact that different sectors> opened up to Saudi women in recent months, their plans have finally found ground to be implemented.
Last Sep., the company announced they were opening co-pilot and cabin crew positions for women.
In the first 24 hours after posting the job opportunities, they received nearly 1,000 applications from Saudi women.
In the same month, another budget Saudi airline, Flyadeal, also posted job openings for Saudi women to work as flight attendants.
A great era for Saudi women in aviation
In 2018, Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation >issued local pilot licenses to five Saudi women for the first time ever.
Though several Saudi women had previously flown planes in and out of the kingdom using international licenses, this is the first time local permits are issued for Saudi women.
The authority explained that the move comes as part of a plan to empower women in the aviation field.
In 2017, Saudi Air Navigation Services Company (SANS) >revealed its plans to employ female members of society as air traffic controllers.
According to Arabian Business, "the kingdom's national aviation training body, which operates under the General Authority of Civil Aviation, will run the one-year educational programme that will qualify Saudi females to work in the air traffic control profession for the first time ever."