IFEC propels Oman Air as Gulf's dark horse

摘要

As the first female Gulf national to become an avionics maintenance engineer, Alya Al Qalam Al Yafie, manager for in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) at Oman Air, is no stranger to mold breaking. "We [consider] cabin innovation and in-flight entertainment systems one of the key pillars to differentiate us as an airline," she told AIN. Al Qalam Al Yafie joined Oman Air as a trainee in June 1994, specializing in avionics-electrical systems, after graduating from Egypt's College of Aeronautical Science and Technology. She also acquired an aircraft maintenance engineer (avionics) license and, in 2011, gained a master's of science in maintenance management from Glasgow Caledonian University. Al Qalam Al Yafie started with Oman Air as a licensed aircraft maintenance technician, and acquired the approvals to perform maintenance and troubleshooting activities on the in-service fleet at that time. She then moved to development engineering in 2001, responsible for electrical and avionics/IFEC/E-enablement and obtained all type ratings on all existing in-service aircraft types.