‘This is your (woman) captain’ — SAA’s plans for all-female flight crews on Women’s Day

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Airline goes all out to tell young girls to Fly High #NdizaNtombazane

To mark Women’s Day, SAA has placed select flights under the complete control of women to celebrate their success and demonstrate support for gender equality.

Captain Anuska Pillay will head one of the all-female flight crews piloting select SAA flights on Women’s Day.
Image: Supplied

The all-female crewed flights, both in cockpit and cabin, will take complete charge of selected SAA scheduled flight operations on August 9 and 30 2022, right down to pushing the aircraft back from the parking bay.

Two of the three all-female crew will depart from Johannesburg to Harare at 10.40am (SA022) and Johannesburg to Durban at 4.55pm (SA571) on Tuesday to commemorate National Women’s Day.

Captain Anuska Pillay and first officer Michelle Coombes will be in the cockpit. The crew on the Airbus A320 which departs OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday morning will be led by purser Kim Petersen and assisted by Agnes Maabane, Rene Essack and Loraine Mitchell.

Jacqueline Mashinini will be the ramp agent co-ordinating and monitoring all the arrangements at the aircraft, including pushing it back from the parking bay.

The special flights are among initiatives implement by SAA this month under the theme “Fly High #NdizaNtombazane, Fly High Girl.”

The initiatives include discounted fares during August and an external competition in which customers can win a flight simulator experience with one of the airline’s female pilots.

“Along with the rest of the crew, we are honoured to be given this chance to fly the flag for all South African women, recognising not only their daily challenges and hardships but also the immense strides they have made in furthering gender parity. All-female flight initiatives like this are important as they demonstrate to people, particularly young girls, and women that nothing is impossible,” said Pillay.

“We want to show all young South Africans that dreams can be achieved through hard work and dedication, no matter your gender,” said Petersen.

SAA’s interim chair and CEO Prof John Lamola said: “We should all support the struggle for women for equality and protection against all the injustices they endure in our country”.

He said SAA salutes its many female employees within leadership structures, strategic management, the pilot community, technicians, chefs, front line and behind the scenes for their massive contribution to the carrier.

TimesLIVE

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