JEDDAH, 8 October — Capt. Aed Al-Noweiser, a Saudi Arabian Airlines pilot, has said that the treatment of Saudi pilots has not changed since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the US.
“As Saudia pilots, we are not discriminated against at foreign airports. However, there are some new jokes going around,” he laughed.
Al-Noweiser, who has been flying Saudia’s new Boeing 777s, admitted that “Saudis are experiencing closer scrutiny of their identity cards and baggage, particularly in European and American airports. However, it would be too much to say this makes us feel discriminated against. We are after all happy to undergo any examination that guarantees the safety of our passengers.”
Another Saudi pilot said that he had rung up several Saudi pilot trainees in the US to make sure that they were safe and had not been arrested by the police.
Capt. Saad Al-Shehri, who is working with Saudia, said the pilots were the first to express their appreciation when airport security was increased.
