Vanita Kayiwa,[a] is a Ugandan airline transport pilot, who serves as a first officer at Uganda National Airlines Company, Uganda's national carrier airline, on the A330-841 aircraft, since February 2021.[1] Before that, effective April 2019, she served as a first officer on the CRJ 900 equipment, at the same airline.[2]
Vanita Kayiwa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Buziga, Makindye Division, Kampala, Uganda |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Alma mater | East African Civil Aviation Academy (Commercial Pilot Licence) (ICAO Airline Transport Pilots License) |
| Occupation | Professional pilot |
| Known for | Aviation |
| Title | Commercial pilot at Uganda National Airlines Company |
Background and education
editShe was born in Buziga, a neighborhood in Makindye Division, in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. She attended Gayaza High School for her secondary education. She obtained her Commercial pilot licence from the East African Civil Aviation Academy, in Soroti, in the Eastern Region of Uganda.[3]
More recently, she has successfully completed type rating training on the CRJ900 at CAE Phoenix, in Mesa, Arizona, United States. In 2019, she was a member of the cockpit crew that piloted the inaugural flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kilimanjaro International Airport, on the CRJ900.[4]
In 2020, she was among the pilots selected to train on the A330-800 aircraft. She successfully completed the type rating training at Airbus Training Centre in Miami, Florida, during the fourth quarter of that year.[4]
Career
editKayiwa has spent most of her flying career at Air Serv Limited, piloting Cessna 208 Caravans. She first flew as a first officer, before she was promoted to captain on the Cessna 208, in 2016. She is the first Ugandan woman to make captain at Air Serv Limited, since that airline was founded in 1987.[2][3] In April 2019, she was hired by Uganda National Airlines Company, as one of a small number of female pilots at the airline.[5] She was part of the cockpit crew that made the inaugural flight between Entebbe, Uganda (EBB) and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (KIA), in 2019.[6]
As of February 2021, she was one of the five female pilots at Uganda Airlines, out of a total of 50 aviators. At that time, she and Tina Drazu were the only two female pilots who were part of the cockpit crew on the A330-841 equipment at Uganda Airlines.[1][7]
Other considerations
editAs of April 2024, she is the elected "female pilot representative" on the management team of the Uganda Professional Pilots' Association (UPPA).[8] As of October 2021, she was type rated on the following aircraft classes: Captain on the Cessna 208 Caravan, First Officer on the CRJ900 and on the Airbus A330-800.[6]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Sometimes spelled Vernita Kayiwa
References
edit- ^ a b Derek Nseko (10 February 2021). "The new Uganda Airlines planes are here, what next?". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b Tracy Gwambe, and Apollo Mubiru (29 April 2019). "Meet The Uganda Airlines Pilots: Vernita Kayiwa". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ a b Titus Kakembo (11 April 2016). "Q&A for Captain Vernita Kayiwa" (PDF). New Vision. Kampala. p. 23. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ a b Taddewo William Senyonyi (7 October 2021). "Vanita Kayiwa: Uganda Airlines Female Pilot Flying The Giant Airbus". Business Focus Uganda. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ The Edge Uganda (13 April 2019). "Pictures: Uganda Airlines Unveils Pilots, Crew". The Edge Uganda. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- ^ a b Bridget Nantume (7 October 2021). "Profile: Here is Vanita Kayiwa, Uganda Airlines female Pilot flying The giant Airbus". Trumpet News Uganda. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ UMC (7 October 2021). "Captain Vanita Kayiwa; One Of Uganda's Few Female Pilots Inspiring Many". Uganda Mirror Corporation (UMC). Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ UPPA (14 April 2024). "Uganda Professional Pilots' Association: Current Leadership". Uganda Professional Pilots' Association (UPPA). Entebbe, Uganda. Retrieved 14 April 2024.