Politics and Society
Good Morning Africa! Ethiopian Airlines makes history with all-female crew trip within Africa
It is yet another remarkable feat for Ethiopian Airlines as it will have its first ever flight operated by women in all roles within Africa. The flight will depart from Addis Ababa to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria.
On Saturday, December 16, an Ethiopian Airlines flight with an all-female crew will leave from Addis Ababa to Lagos, Nigeria.
The airline stated that the women would fill all the roles in the flight from the pilots to the cabin crew to the operators of the flight ramp and dispatchers.
This is not the first time for such a feat in Africa.
In March this year, Malawi Air had the first ever all-female crew from Blantyre, Malawi, to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. The flight was flown by Malawi’s first female captain, Yolanda Ndala-Kaunda, and her assistant, Lusekelo Mwenifumbo.
In 2015, the Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to fly an all-female crew out of Africa.
Read: Ethiopian Airlines operate historic all-women flight
Captain Amsale Gualu flew the all-female crew flight from Addis Ababa to Bangkok. She took that opportunity to show the advantage of women getting equal opportunity in whatever fields they work in.
Ethiopian Airlines launches first flight with an all-female crew Photo: Ethiopian Airlines
“This flight shows us that if women get equal opportunities and work hard, I’m sure they can achieve whatever they want in all fields including the aviation industry,” she said.
Gualu is also the first Ethiopian female captain to fly the Bombardier from Addis Ababa to Gondar in 2010.
“This is an ample opportunity to inspire young African female students to believe in their dreams and embark to fill the skill gap for Aviation professionals. Women are the continent’s greatest untapped resources, and hereby fully dedicated to ensuring the increased number of women in decision-making positions on top of key operational areas by consistently grooming and mentoring successor female employees for top managerial, technical and operational positions,” the Airline said in 2015.
With Tigist Kibret as the first officer, Gualu will be flying the Boeing 777.
Read: Ethiopian Airlines wins The Best Airlines in Africa at SKYTRAX
In a statement issued in Lagos, the airline said the flight will leave Addis Ababa, the airline’s operational hub to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. On board would be select Nigerian journalists.
The Airline is in the process of implementing a 15-year strategic plan, known as Vision 2025. The plan involves the setting up of seven business centres, Ethiopian Domestic and Regional Airline; Ethiopian International Passenger Airline; Ethiopian Cargo; Ethiopian MRO; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering Services; and Ethiopian Ground Service.
