SAWIA_Womens Month_2012_17 August_Commercial Pilots_Captain Amsale Gualu Endegnanew

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AVIATRIX PROFILES 17 AUGUST 2012

COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS CAPTAIN AMSALE GUALU ENDEGNANEW

ON THE 15TH OCTOBER 2010 – CAPTAIN AMSALE GUALU ENDEGNANEW (RIGHT), ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES PILOT, CELEBRATED HER MAIDEN FLIGHT AS THE FIRST FEMALE AIRLINE PILOT OF THE AIRLINE. PHOTOGRAPH SOURCE: http://www.tadias.com/10/15/2010/ethiopian-airlines-appoints-first-female-captain/

COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS CAPTAIN AMSALE GUALU ENDEGNANEW FIRST FEMALE CAPTAIN OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CAPTAIN AMSALE GUALU ENDEGNANEW joined Ethiopian Airlines Pilot Training School on July 10, 2000 and started her career as first officer on November 26, 2002. Since then, she has trained and worked on Fokker-50, 757 and 767 aircraft as first officer. Captain Amsale has been able to complete successfully all the necessary training requirements and passed through rigorous checks to gain her four stripes. She has a total of 4475 flight hours under her belt when she becomes the commander-in-chief of her flight.

Designate chief executive officer of the Airline, Tewolde Gebremariam welcomed her at the airport on her historic return flight from Bahir Dar. “It is well deserved as she has shown tremendous dedication to achieve the rank of captain,” said Gebremariam.

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES APPOINTS FIRST FEMALE CAPTAIN New York (Tadias) – She may not be the first Ethiopian woman pilot, but Captain Amsale Gualu Endegnanew is just as pioneering. She is the first female to become captain in the history of Ethiopian Airlines.

According to the company, the pilot was at controls of a next generation Bombardier airplane for her historic flight, which she performed over domestic routes on October 14, 2010.

“Captain Amsale proudly took off her first flight from the left hand seat of the flight deck of a Q-400 aircraft from Addis Ababa to Gondar then to Axum and finally returned back to Addis Ababa after a total of 3.6 flight hours,” the airline announced in a press release.

“Captain Amsale joined Ethiopian Airlines Pilot Training School on July 10, 2000 and started her career as first officer on November 26, 2002. Since then, she has trained and worked on Fokker-50, 757 and 767 aircraft as first officer. Captain Amsale has been able to complete successfully all the necessary training requirements and passed through rigorous checks to gain her four stripes. She has a total of 4475 flight hours under her belt when she becomes the commander-in-chief of her flight.”

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ON THE 15TH OCTOBER 2010 – CAPTAIN AMSALE GUALU ENDEGNANEW (CENTRE), ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES PILOT, CELEBRATED HER MAIDEN FLIGHT AS THE FIRST FEMALE AIRLINE PILOT OF THE AIRLINE. PHOTOGRAPH SOURCE: http://www.tadias.com/10/15/2010/ethiopian-airlines-appoints-first-female-captain/

In a brief statement following her groundbreaking flight, Captain Amsale said this moment has been a long time coming. “It is a great privilege to become the first female captain of the national carrier,” she said. “I have been trained and passed through various ladders at Ethiopian Airlines.”

“The company has been very supportive of my efforts to realize my vision of becoming a captain,” she added.

Congratulating her on the occasion, Weyzero Elizabeth Getachew, a Senior Vice President for Human Resource Management and the highest ranking female executive in the airline said, “Captain Amsale’s success is a great achievement on her part and it is also an achievement for the airline. It is my hope that other females will be inspired by her success and Ethiopian will see more female candidates in the near future.” The country’s flag-career currently has four female pilots working as first officers.

Who is Ethiopia’s first female pilot?

Some say Weyzero Asegedech Asefa, who became a pilot post World War II, is the first Ethiopian female pilot. While others argue that Weyzero Mulumebet Emeru, whose flight training was interrupted when the Italians envaded Ethiopia in 1936, holds the title of first Ethiopian female pilot.

ARTICLE SOURCE: Tadias Magazine. Published: Friday, October 15, 2010. http://www.tadias.com/10/15/2010/ethiopian-airlines-appoints-first-female-captain/

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PHOTOGRAPH SOURCE: http:// awesomeafricatv.blogspot.com/2012/04/africaethiopian-airlines-to-be-first.html

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Ethiopian Airlines, formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country’s flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia. From its hub in Bole International Airport the airline serves a network of 62 international destinations and 16 domestic ones, flying to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier. It is one of the few profitable airlines in the Sub-Saharan region and ranks among the largest ones on the continent. Likewise, Ethiopian is one of the fastest-growing carriers in the industry. The airline’s cargo division has been awarded The African Cargo Airline of the Year in early 2011.

As of December 2011, the airline is a Star Alliance member. Ethiopian is also a member of the International Air Transport Association, and of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) since 1968.

As of July 2012, the passenger network comprises 56 cities in Africa –17 of them within Ethiopia–, nine in Europe and the Americas, and 14 in the Middle East and Asia. Likewise, the cargo network serves 13 destinations in Africa, seven in the Middle East and Asia, and two in Europe. In late April 2012, the airline announced its plans to start serving Latin America, yet no firm dates were disclosed.

The airline announced in August 2012 that Abuja, Accra, Douala, Dubai, Entebbe, Frankfurt, Johannesbourg, Harare, Kilimanjaro, Lagos, Lomé, London, Luanda, Lusaka, Malabo, Maputo, Mombasa, Mumbai, Nairobi and Rome will be served on an rotational basis with the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner following delivery, set to occur in mid-August 2012, and that upon delivery of the second aircraft of the type they will be assigned on fixed scheduled routes.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Airlines

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