Tasnim � CEO of Iran Air Farzaneh Sharafbafi said the country�s national flag-carrier airline plans to recruit female pilots for the first time.

�This is highly significant for us to have female pilots among our personnel,� Sharafbafi made the announcement on Tuesday.

Iran Air is based in Tehran and flies to more than 25 domestic destinations and dozens of other cities in Asia and Europe.

Once a year, Iran Air announces job openings, and this year�s main feature in the announcement let women know that they are welcome to apply to be pilots.

The airline, known as Homa, has five women working in top management, and about 16 percent of the company�s middle managers are women.

Women have been permitted to fly planes for years in Iran, but they have never been allowed to work for the country�s airline.

In her announcement, Sharafbafi said the first women hired as pilots by Iran Air will begin as co-pilots.

�Women can play a key role in the social development as well as the realization of social justice in a society,� she said.

�Today, the world is paying more serious attention to the role of women in the society.�