Irene Koki Mutungi, Africa’s first female Dreamliner captain, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 22, at the Aviator Africa Conference and Tower Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa.Â
The captain was honored in the fourth edition of the award for her efforts and achievements in the aviation business, according to a statement made by Kenya Airways.
The conference’s topic this year was Sustainability of African Aviation, with the goal of promoting the development and sustainability of African aviation and its connected businesses.
In addition, KQ’s Head of Network Planning, Martin Gitonga, received the coveted Sustainability award, making him one of only two Kenyans honored at the occasion.
Irene became the first female on the African continent to be certified as a Captain of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
In 1995, she was hired as the national carrier’s first female pilot and remained the only female pilot for six years. In addition, in 2004, Koki became the first African woman to fly a commercial airplane, the Boeing 737.
In September 2014, she was named Captain of the B787 flight from Nairobi to Paris. In 2018, she piloted Kenya Airways’ nonstop first trip to New York, USA, on which former President Uhuru Kenyatta sat.
