Qatar Airways marks International Women’s Day with all-female freighter crew

A Qatar Airways freighter operated from Doha to Shanghai has been managed entirely by female crew and female ground staff to mark International Women’s Day.

The carrier said that flight QR8960 was its first ever to be operated by an all-female crew – from the “ground staff overseeing and handling the cargo, to the flight deck crew operating the flight”.

The flight departed Doha on March 5 carrying 100 tonnes of cargo.

Captain Sarah Abigail Comerford from the UK, first officer Edith Mala Diop from France and first officer Hedfa Mohammed Al Marri from Qatar operated the flight.

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo, said: “I am proud to have such a diverse workforce within Qatar Airways Cargo. We are committed to promoting gender diversity and that women are equally represented in our workforce, which is why we can proudly say we have almost 50% of women in various age groups and roles working globally for Qatar Airways Cargo.

“Women not only promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, they also bring in creativity and success to a business. Our success as the world’s leading air cargo carrier is due to the hard work and talent of all our employees and this includes the female staff we are so proud to have within our business.”

Elisabeth Oudkerk, senior vice president cargo sales and network planning added: “As a woman who has worked in the industry for over 20 years, I am proud to see the great strides females have made in the field of aviation and air cargo.”