Erica Chbeir, 32 years old, is the second female pilot in the history of Middle East Airlines. (Credit: Emily Carpenter/L'Orient-Le Jour)
In the cockpit of ME229 from Paris to Beirut, the two Middle East Airlines (MEA) pilots divide up their duties. While one sets the aircraft’s parameters, the other communicates with air traffic control to complete the final checks before takeoff.“MEA two-two-nine, ready for departure…” A woman’s voice cuts through the predominantly male chatter in the cockpit. Erica Chbeir, 32, has been a pilot with the Lebanese airline since 2017 and is one of seven women currently flying for the carrier.“I want to dispel the idea that autopilot does all the work while we sit around doing nothing,” she said. “We handle takeoff and landing manually. And throughout the flight, we’re still the ones telling the autopilot what to do.” Women breaking rank Rebecca Ghanem and Kristie Rahal: Two Lebanese barbers challenging gender norms Chbeir’s long hair...
In the cockpit of ME229 from Paris to Beirut, the two Middle East Airlines (MEA) pilots divide up their duties. While one sets the aircraft’s parameters, the other communicates with air traffic control to complete the final checks before takeoff.“MEA two-two-nine, ready for departure…” A woman’s voice cuts through the predominantly male chatter in the cockpit. Erica Chbeir, 32, has been a pilot with the Lebanese airline since 2017 and is one of seven women currently flying for the carrier.“I want to dispel the idea that autopilot does all the work while we sit around doing nothing,” she said. “We handle takeoff and landing manually. And throughout the flight, we’re still the ones telling the autopilot what to do.” Women breaking rank Rebecca Ghanem and Kristie Rahal: Two Lebanese barbers challenging gender norms ...
