Heba Atef: The First Egyptian Flight Attendant with Down Syndrome

Today is UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities, and we felt it would be fitting to celebrate a major step for the inclusion of people with disabilities in Egyptian society. Heba Atef, a Mass Communication student at the Arab Open University, was given the opportunity to experience being a flight attendant on a flight from Cairo to Khartoum. Although Heba was not hired permanently, she is the first Egyptian with down syndrome to be part of the cabin crew. 

This was part of a project titled “The Humanitarian Trip” in which Heba and various members of the Down syndrome community went to Khartoum to attend different workshops and forums centred around supporting people with Down syndrome. This project is organized by the National Council for Disability Affairs in collaboration with Badr Airlines and the Intelligent Mind Centre in Khartoum.