Etihad's first female captain to fly maiden flight

Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government-owned airline, will have its first flight piloted by a female captain, the airline said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

Sophie Blanchard, a French national who joined Etihad in 2007 as a first officer, will captain the flight to the UK on Wednesday, the company said.

Etihad has ten female pilots and four female cadet pilots, the company said.Blanchard will take the controls of the left hand seat in the flight deck for the first time for flight EY17 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, Etihad said in its statement.