Etihad’s Emirati engineers celebrate
Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has celebrated the graduation of the first Emirati certified aircraft engineer who successfully completed the airline’s Graduate Engineering Trainee programme.
Shehab Al Shehhi is Etihad Airways’ first Emirati aviation engineer to obtain an Airbus A320 authorisation certificate, allowing him to certify the certificate of release to service for the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft.
The certification process is threefold and includes obtaining basic licences after fulfilling the requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and finally passing an Etihad Airways’ Quality Assurance board exam.
Etihad Airways' Chief Operations Officer, Captain Richard Hill, said, "Etihad Airways is committed to developing a skilled and qualified cadre of Emirati engineers to join its technical team. We are very proud of Shehab and we have complete confidence that he will excel in this role and pave the way for more UAE nationals to take up the challenging role of aircraft engineers.”
Shehab joined Etihad Airways in 2007 and was immediately enrolled in the airline’s technical engineering programme, offered at the time in cooperation with the Aviation College in Brisbane, Australia, and one of the 147 facilities approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
In 2009 Shehab graduated from the Aviation College with a diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and then had to undergo ‘On the Job’ training on the dedicated aircraft in the Etihad Airways’ Technical line maintenance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
His training included servicing and rectifying defects on Airbus A320 and A330 including engines, conducting heavy and light maintenance on Etihad Airways’ aircraft, as well as spending time working at the out station maintenance facilities in Sydney and Dublin.
Shehab said: “It has always been my dream to work in aviation and specifically as a certifying aircraft engineer and I am proud that I have finally managed to realize my dream after a long and sometimes challenging journey.
“I am excited to embark on this new role and to shoulder the responsibility of certifying the airworthiness of our aircraft and ultimately playing a pivotal role in protecting the safety of our guests.”
Etihad Airways Graduate Engineering Programme is now offered in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technologies and the Al Ain International Aviation Academy allowing trainees to obtain a B1 (Engineering License in Airframe and Engines) or B2 (Avionics) license in Aviation Engineering Technology. The program is accredited by both the EASA and GCAA.
The trainees are chosen after extensive assessments, and once qualified, will become part of Etihad Airways' technical team at the airline's dedicated aircraft line and light maintenance facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport.