SAA says transformation plan on track

South African Airways (SAA) says its plan for transformation is on track.

It took 88 years, but two black female pilots operated a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Tuesday.

It’s the first time, in its history that a flight was operated by a black African female captain.

SAA introduced its first black female pilots in the history of the company to the skies on Tuesday.

The airline’s human resource executive, Mpho Letlape, said that the two pilots were not a product of affirmative action but hard work and dedication.

“They earned the right to be where they are, they have done everything that any other man, white or black or any colour, for them to be able to sit here.”

Captain Annabel Vundla said that she wanted to do nothing else but fly the plane.

“When I saw cabin crew, they looked beautiful and stunning. I said these ladies look nice and then I asked my mom, what do they do, and she said they serve food on the aircraft. I said no i don’t want to do that, what do these guys do and it was only men at the time.”

First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi said that it had been a tough ride being a black female in a male-dominated industry.

“I think as time goes, it gets better but I don’t think becoming one of the boys is necessarily what helps us.”

There’s nearly 40 years’ experience between these two black female pilots, with Vundla flying for 22 and Moreetsi flying for 14 years now.

-EWN

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