Nigeria’s aviation industry recorded another feat last Thursday when Air Peace operated first all-female flights from Lagos to Abuja, Owerri, Imo state and back to Lagos. Hundreds of airline passengers, government officials and aviation regulators celebrated the first all-female crew comprising Capt. Sinmisola Ajibola, Senior First Officer Quincy Owen, SEP Instructor Rosemary Uagbor, Cabin Executive Chidimma Chimezie and Cabin Executive Opakirite George.
The all-female flight, which took off from Lagos, was operated days after Air Peace produced its first female Captain, Sinmisola Ajibola.
The flights, the airline said, were in honour of Sinmisola and to promote gender equality in the nation’s aviation industry and project Nigerian women as capable of standing tall among both their male and female counterparts across the world.
The Boeing B737-300 aircraft with Captain Simisola in command and co-piloted by Senior First Officer Quincy landed in Abuja at 3:29 p.m. to a spectacular water salute performed by men of the Fire Service Department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and a rousing welcome by passengers, government officials, aviation regulators and other well-wishers.
From Abuja, the aircraft flew into Owerri and touched down at 6.00 p.m., receiving another plume of water salute and warm welcome from passengers, airport workers and well-wishers.
Others involved in the operations were B1 Engineer, Justina Etim, who signed out the aircraft in Lagos and dispatchers Chisom Onyeakposi and Olubukola Olajiga. Ladi Amadu and Loretta Ekeh dispatched the flight in Abuja and Owerri respectively.
Speaking at a brief welcome ceremony for the flight crew in Abuja, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, said over 20 key positions in the airline, including those of the vice chairman, chief operating officer and chief of finance and administration, were occupied by women whom he insisted had demonstrated excellent capacity to deliver on their tasks.
The airline, he said, had employed about 2,000 workers since it commenced operations almost four years ago. About 1,500 of the employees, he said, were women.
“Air Peace is an airline run by women. We are very proud of giving women opportunities to excel because we believe that there is nothing that men can do women cannot do.
We want to encourage our female children that they should aspire to be whatever they want to be by emulating what our female flight and cabin crew members have done today,’’ Onyema said.
Article Credits to The Guardian
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