The local population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are known as Emiratis. Emirati culture is generally conservative. Both the public and private sectors in the UAE face gender disparity among Emirati women. While Emirati women today are much more empowered; reflecting government initiatives and the implemention of laws to ensure equal opportunities across sectors, a strong social stigma remained until this generation on what jobs were appropriate for women – with the ambition of being a commercial airline pilot quite firmly held as a “man’s job”.

This work, on behalf of Etihad Airways, brings to life the true story of Captain Aisha Al Mansoori– who now aged 35, shattered glass ceilings only recently to become the nation's first female commercial airline captain. It's a narrative that underscores the airline's at the national carrier for women who aspire to reach new heights in industries once dominated by men.

The local population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are known as Emiratis. Emirati culture is generally conservative, valuing traditions, family, and religion. Both the public and private sectors in the UAE face gender disparity among Emirati women. However, the government has taken steps to address this issue through initiatives promoting women's participation in leadership roles and implementing laws to ensure equal opportunities in both sectors.

Gender equality has seen significant progress in recent years, reflecting the nation's commitment to inclusivity and development. Efforts to promote gender parity span various sectors, including education, employment, and public life.

While Emirati women today are much more empowered; a social stigma remained until the most recent generation on what jobs were appropriate for women – with the ambition of being a commercial airline pilot quite firmly held as a “man’s job”.

As the UAE’s national carrier, Etihad is committed to gender equality and breaking unfortunate gender stereotypes. Today, Etihad is proud to have close to 7,000 women in its workforce, including the first female Emirati pilot Captain Aisha Al Mansoori.

Additionally, Etihad had pledged to increase its female employees by 25% by 2025. By February 2024, Etihad had already reached its goal – two years early - with 25% of women in Management Positions and a 100% increase in women pilots and engineers.

To celebrate Etihad’s 20th anniversary, we were tasked with showcasing the brand as representive of the nation’s ambition. We brought to life a powerful story of the national airline’s ability to not only inspire young girls but empower them to accomplish their dreams.

To celebrate Etihad’s 20th anniversary and its unwavering commitment to women, we brought to life a powerful story of a young girl’s determination and a national airline’s ability to not only inspire young girls but empower them to accomplish their dreams.

The film sees a young Emirati girl in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, fascinated by Etihad’s inaugural flight 20 years ago and determined in her resolution to fly.

She creates her own make-shift winds and readies herself to fly – but falls flat. Undeterred, she gets up and readies herself to try once again; determined.

We cut to the real-life Aisha; Captain Aisha Al Mansoori, walking into an Etihad Aircraft and readying herself for take-off. We now understand the film is inspired by real-life story of the UAE’s first female pilot who flies for Etihad today.

Twenty years ago, Etihad Airway’s inaugural flight took place. As the national carrier, this marked a significant milestone - but also set the stage for a historic journey of female empowerment and achievement in the UAE.

Our research across platforms found that despite government measures to ensure equal opportunities across sectors, strong social stigma remained on what jobs were appropriate for women – with airline pilot held as a “man’s job”.

In celebrating the airlines 20th anniversary, our target audience was the local UAE population. Our approach was to leverage the occasion and Etihad’s position as a source of national pride to empower for Emirati women who aspire to reach new heights in industries once dominated by men.

As such, we tapped into the real-life story of the first female Emirati airline pilot, Captain Aisha al Mansoori, who shattered glass ceilings and continues to fly with the airline today.

To celebrate Etihad’s 20th anniversary and its unwavering commitment to women, we brought to life through film a powerful story of a young girl’s determination and a national airline’s ability to not only inspire young girls but empower them to accomplish their dreams.

Our timeline from brief through production and live date across media was approximately 3 months. The film went live across TV and social media (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) on November 12th, 2023.

Etihad’s 20th Anniversary film featuring the story of a young girl solidified Etihad’s unwavering commitment to women, inspired by the real-life story of Captain Aisha AlMansoori who learned to fly with Etihad and continues to fly for the airline today.

The film, rooted Aisha’s true story, underscores the airline's key role in fostering a landscape where dreams take flight, especially for women who aspire to reach new heights in industries once dominated by men.

Etihad had pledged to increase its female employees by 25% by 2025 as a part of the voluntary "25/25" campaign launched by the International Air Transport Association. By February 2024, Etihad had already reached its goal – 2 years early with 25% of women in Management Positions and a 100% increase in women pilots and engineers.

The film solidified the national carrier’s committed to gender equality, female empowerment and breaking unfortunate gender stereotypes in the UAE.