Emel Arman, Turkish Airlines' first female captain, retires

Emel Arman, the first female captain pilot for Turkish Airlines, has retired following a 31-year career. Arman completed her final flight on September 7, operating flight TK1884 from Vienna to Istanbul on an Airbus A350.

Throughout her career, Arman accumulated approximately 23,000 flight hours. She holds the distinction of being the first Turkish female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean, a feat achieved in 1997 while flying an Airbus A340 to New York.

Her career included several milestones, such as participating in a historic flight to Trabzon with an all-female crew and conducting the first long-haul flight with two female captains on a Chicago-Istanbul route in 2016. Arman began her service with Turkish Airlines in 1995 after graduating at the top of her class from Anadolu University.