JEDDAH — Eight Saudi women have been given flight dispatcher licenses after they passed a 13-week course that qualified them for this post at airlines operating throughout the Kingdom, Al-Watan daily reported on Sunday. They also had to sit theoretical and practical examinations prescribed by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). A flight dispatcher helps in planning flight paths, determining wind direction and speed, assessing landing conditions at destinations and other factors. They also advise pilots if weather conditions change. In a nutshell, they give the green light to the pilot to take off based on the information they gather about everything related to the trip. Manal Kutbi, spokeswoman and assistant director of Aviation Pioneers Academy, said the work of a flight dispatcher is very difficult and entails a high-level of concentration and accuracy. She said: “More young Saudi women are signing up for the course and enrolling in the academy programs to become flight dispatchers. This is a new job for them but the field seems to attract them.” Mawadah Abdulfatah, supervisor of courses, said any applicant should be over 21 and can only get the license after two years. However, they can practice this profession as long as they have strong English skills. Nouf Alaam, one of the licensed women, said she fell in love with this line of work because her father is a military pilot while her brother is a civil pilot. She works for an airline company in the Kingdom. “The academy professors and my family encouraged me during my study and helped me pass all the examinations,” she said. Wafa Mirshid said the training program took three months and introduced her to the devices used in this field for private and commercial airplanes. The academy was founded six years ago and teaches both male and female students. It offers several specialized lessons and courses such as the flight dispatcher course. The first batch of Saudi men graduated in 2006 while the first batch of Saudi women passed through in 2013. Twelve women successfully completed the courses in 2013 and were licensed. For men the course costs SR28,000 while for women the price is SR30,000. The tuition fees are considered expensive and some students are forced to borrow money to enroll in the academy.
