Royal Brunei Airlines is being praised for shining a light on social injustice against women in Saudi Arabia after sending its first all-female flight to the Middle Eastern destination.
Flight BI081 took off on Brunei’s National Day with three women in the cockpit – Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah Pg Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana Nordin. The three ladies were accompanied by a completely female team of flight attendants as they flew from Brunei to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The flight comes three years after Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy became the first female captain of the Southeast Asian carrier.
Three ladies made history for Royal Brunei Airlines.
At the time of her appointment, she said becoming the first Bruneian woman to drive is a “great achievement” because the career of a pilot was always male dominated.
“It’s really showing the younger generation or the girls especially that whatever they dream of, they can achieve it.”
Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy
While for the most part the milestone service celebrated the country’s independence, it also took off with the purpose of promoting a message of anti-discrimination against women.
In Saudi Arabia, there is no law preventing women from diving, however, a ban has been put in place by conservative Muslim clerics who have made it impossible for them to apply for a drivers license. Women will also be arrested if found behind the wheel of a car.
When a female wants to travel somewhere they have to driven by a man because according to Muslim clerics, ‘licentiousness’ will spread if they drive.
There’s such public outrage against the injustice towards women that a Facebook page with around 36,000 likes has been set up with the purpose of “supporting women’s freedom in Saudi Arabia, starting by allowing them to drive”.
Meanwhile, Royal Brunei’s passengers have taken to social media to praise the carrier on its recent stance against inequality.
Chris Twanya Schmidt said:
“Right on Sisters! Congratulations to all of you as now it is your turn to make “herstory.”
While Barrie Rees said it was an opportunity to show that not all Muslim countries consider women as “second class”.
“Brilliant! Women are NOT the second class humans that some Muslim countries THINK that they are!”
Paul Lewis hopes the flight proves “ignorance CAN Be overcome” and Jimmy Har cheered them on for breaking the stereotype and “fighting for equality”.