Irene Koki Mutungi

Irene Koki Mutungi (1976) 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.

Quotes

• We have to prove ourselves, women, we can do it maybe even better.
  • "2020 WOMEN'S DAY: Three Female Pilots on KQ Flight to New York Share Their Experiences" (March 7, 2020)
• I get to experience the extremely busy airspaces and adverse weather, which is a challenge I like to take on. The airspace in Africa is not as busy and we don’t have extreme weather like hurricanes, snowstorms, etc
• There was also uncertainty of how my male counterparts would accept me with all the stigma surrounding the male-dominated career, as I would have been a first.
• Coincidentally, the passenger who declined to fly with me was on my first Fokker 50 flight from a city in Kenya, Kisumu. He said he was not a guinea pig to be flown by a woman.
• As a mother of boys, I’m all for empowering women, but let’s not forget the next generation of boys.
• I would definitely encourage more young women to consider careers in the aviation industry.
  • https://flightsafety.org/asw-article/qa-with-capt-irene-koki-mutungi-kenya-airways/. Q&A with Capt. Irene Koki Mutungi, Kenya Airways, Flight Safety Foundation, 3 November 2021, Retrieved 04 November 2024.
• I think the one thing that stood out for me when it comes to hurdles is having been the first woman and the only woman in the airline
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z40WXMUE5M4. Executive interview with Capt Irene Koki Mutungi, Africa Airlines Association (AFRAA), 26 October 2021,Retrieved 04 November 2024.
  • “ I did not notice that I was the lone ranger as I had become one of the boys, and I guess it was also focused on work and just getting work done. It ceases to be about your gender and more about your expertise and technical abilities”.

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• • "I love flying to the U.S., Europe and the Far East. I get to experience the extremely busy airspaces and adverse weather, which is a challenge I like to take on."
  • "I consider myself a role model for young women and men as well. As a mother of boys, I’m all for empowering women, but let’s not forget the next generation of boys."
  • " think more subsidies and scholarships should be made available to women when it comes to training. Airlines should offer positions to qualified female pilots more readily as part of their inclusivity programs."

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