Irene Koki Mutungi

Airline Captain Irene Koki Mutungi, commonly known as Koki Mutungi, is a professional pilot in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. She was the first female on the African continent to become certified as a Captain of the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" aircraft. She flies for Kenya Airways, the national airline of Kenya.[1][2]

Irene Koki Mutungi
Born1976 (age 44–45)
Kenya
NationalityKenyan
CitizenshipKenya
Alma materKenya Civil Aviation Authority
(Private Pilot's License)
Oklahoma City Flight Schools
(Professional Pilot's License)
OccupationCommercial Pilot
Years active1993 — present
Known forAviation
TitleCaptain of Boeing 787 Deamliner

Early life and education

She was born circa 1976 to Kenyan parents. Her father was a commercial pilot with Kenya Airways. He has since retired and is an aviation consultant. Koki attended Moi Girls School Nairobi. After graduating high school in 1992, at the age of 17 years, she enrolled in flight school at Nairobi's Wilson Airport, where she obtained her Private Pilot's License. She continued her pilot education in Oklahoma City in the United States where she was awarded the Commercial Pilot's License, by the Federal Aviation Administration.[3]

Career

She returned to Kenya in 1995 and was hired by Kenya Airways, as their first female pilot. She was the only female pilot at the airline for the next six years.[4] In 2004, she became the first African woman to qualify to captain a commercial aircraft, when she qualified to command the Boeing 737.[3] She has since qualified to command the Boeing 767. She then took the conversion course which allowed her to transition to commanding a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Kenya Airways then promoted her to Captain of the B787, making her the first African female Boeing 787 Captain in the world.[5] Her employer made that announcement on 15 April 2014.[6]

Other considerations

Her motivation to become a commercial pilot was developed when she was five years old, by observing her father, a pilot for Kenya Airways at that time.[7] Captain Mutungi, who is the mother of one son born circa 2006,[7] enjoys flying and mentoring others, especially female pilots.[8] In September 2014, Mutungi was one of 39 pilots at Kenya Airways, out of a total of 530 and she was the designated Captain on the Nairobi to Paris route on the B787.[7]

In December 2014, she was named among "The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014", by Forbes Magazine.[9][10]

See also

References
  1. Coastweek (July 2014). "All-Ladies Crew Deliver Kenya Airways' 4th Dreamliner". Coastweek.com. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  2. Gassesse, Josias (22 April 2014). "Irene Koki Mutungi: The First African Lady, Captain In Command of A Boeing 787". Africa Top Success. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  3. Ritchie, Kevin (7 July 2014). "No Limit To 'Ambassador' Pilot's Feats". IOL Travel. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  4. Ochieng, Lillian (17 July 2014). "Startup Lessons From Kenya's Successful Women Job Creators". Daily Nation. Nairobi. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. Oga, Titus (11 November 2015). "Meet the beautiful Irene Koki Mutungi first captain for Boeing in Africa". Machaks: Kambanation.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  6. Thome, Wolfgang (15 April 2014). "First female African Dreamliner Captain announced by Kenya Airways". Kampala: Eturbonews.com. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  7. Wokabi, Charles (8 September 2014). "Africa's first female Dreamliner pilot soars". Daily Nation. Nairobi. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  8. BDA Staff (2012). "Captain Irene Koki Mutungi Loves Flying and Mentoring Others". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  9. Nsehe, Mfonobong (4 December 2014). "The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014". Forbes.com. Kigali. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  10. Karuhanga, James (5 December 2014). "Forbes names Minister Kamayirese among Africa's 'Power Women'". New Times (Rwanda). Retrieved 1 December 2017.
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