ABU DHABI: As the first Saudi A380 pilot in the world, senior first officer Wesam Sameer Al-Najjar has already spent nearly 4,000 hours in the cockpit and flown to more than 100 countries, all before his 29th birthday later this month.
Having joined Etihad Airways in 2013, Al-Najjar has flown the A318, A319, A320, A330 and A330 Cargo aircraft, among others. It was in 2016 that the Saudi national was selected to fly the A380 as the world’s first Saudi pilot of the world’s largest aircraft. To date, he is still the youngest Saudi national to have flown the Airbus.
Among his biggest achievements was being selected to co-pilot Etihad’s flagship Year of Zayed-branded A380 on a special flight to Jeddah to mark the Kingdom’s National Day on Sept. 23 this year.
“It was such an honor to fly this flight,” he said. “Taking it all the way to Jeddah, the first Etihad A380 to fly this route. It was great to be part of a movement that reflects a great relationship between the two countries.
“Flying an A380 is incredible; you fly a cruising speed of 575mph all the way into the sky. To fly such a big aircraft motivates me to learn more, to study more, to achieve more. To know more and more about the world of aviation.”
When he received the email to say he had been selected as an A380 pilot, Al-Najjar was just 26.
“It was a huge honor and a dream come true and something that continues to motivate me,” said Al-Najjar. “I was very proud of myself. It was my dream.
“I remember receiving an email through flight operations. I just felt so happy. To fly the biggest aircraft in the world with destinations to London, Paris, New York and Sydney — it was a true honor and a dream — and I would say a large part was due to my family support and Etihad’s support, the UAE government’s support and the Saudi government’s support.”
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