Video: All-women crew operates Emirates flight

Dubai airline Emirates has carried out a flight operated and prepared entirely by women to mark International Women’s Day.

The carrier said female employees carried out all key activities for A380 flight EK225 from Dubai to San Francisco, acting as pilots and crew and leading ground activities before departure in Dubai.

The flight was piloted by captain Patricia Bischoff from Canada and first officer Rebecca Lougheed from the UK with cabin crew led by the purser Weronica Formela from Poland.

On the ground women took roles spanning from customer service to passenger duty service, ramp operations, catering, cargo, flight dispatch, security, technical and engineering.

In total 75 women from more than 25 nationalities worked on the flight.

“Emirates is proud that we have women represented in all these key functions,” said Abdulaziz Al Ali, Executive Vice president of human resources at Emirates.

“Women have been part of the Emirates success story from the start and on International Women’s Day we celebrate their extensive contribution to Emirates and to the broader aviation industry.”

The Emirates Group employs 150 nationalities including 1,150 Emirati women. Women make up 40 per cent of the workforce and 20 per cent of supervisory and management roles.

International Women’s Day takes place this Thursday, on March 8.