Vanita Kayiwa Explained

Vanita Kayiwa
Birth Place:Buziga, Makindye Division, Kampala, Uganda
Alma Mater:East African Civil Aviation Academy
(Commercial Pilot Licence)
(ICAO Airline Transport Pilots License)
Occupation:Professional pilot
Nationality:Ugandan
Citizenship:Uganda
Known For:Aviation

Vanita Kayiwa, 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]

Background and education

She 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

Kayiwa 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

As 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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The new Uganda Airlines planes are here, what next? . 10 February 2021 . . 12 February 2021 . Derek Nseko . Kampala.
  2. Web site: . Meet The Uganda Airlines Pilots: Vernita Kayiwa . 29 April 2019 . 9 May 2019 . and Apollo Mubiru . Tracy Gwambe . Kampala.
  3. Web site: Q&A for Captain Vernita Kayiwa . . 11 April 2016 . 23 . 9 May 2019 . Titus Kakembo . Kampala.
  4. Web site: Vanita Kayiwa: Uganda Airlines Female Pilot Flying The Giant Airbus . 7 October 2021 . Business Focus Uganda . 6 November 2021 . Taddewo William Senyonyi . Kampala, Uganda.
  5. Web site: The Edge Uganda. 13 April 2019 . Pictures: Uganda Airlines Unveils Pilots, Crew . The Edge Uganda . 10 May 2019 . Kampala, Uganda.
  6. Web site: Trumpet News Uganda . Profile: Here is Vanita Kayiwa, Uganda Airlines female Pilot flying The giant Airbus . 7 October 2021 . Bridget Nantume . 22 January 2021 . Kampala, Uganda.
  7. Web site: Captain Vanita Kayiwa; One Of Uganda’s Few Female Pilots Inspiring Many . Uganda Mirror Corporation (UMC) . 7 October 2021 . UMC . 26 October 2023 . Kampala, Uganda.
  8. Web site: Uganda Professional Pilots' Association: Current Leadership . 14 April 2024 . Uganda Professional Pilots' Association (UPPA) . 14 April 2024 . UPPA . Entebbe, Uganda.