Prior to this role, Bastaki served as a key member of the human resources leadership team as vice president medical services since 2014, with responsibility for leading the aeromedical centre and ensuring the overall health and wellbeing of employees, as well as driving the diversity and inclusion, and corporate social responsibility programmes at Etihad Airways.

 Bastaki joined the national airline in 2007, becoming the first female UAE national to specialise in aviation medicine, and has been a key figure in developing the Etihad Airways Medical Centre into a region-leading aeromedical centre.

 During the pandemic, Bastaki played a central role in overseeing the airline’s health and safety response to the global crisis and directly coordinating with the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, the General Civil Aviation Authority and SEHA.

 Bastaki has nearly 20 years of experience as a medical practitioner and holds a master’s degree in occupational medicine from Manchester University as well as a diploma in aviation medicine from King’s College London. In addition to the new chief role, Bastaki will continue to provide overall clinical leadership for the Etihad Airways Medical Centre.