Akwaaba to honour Africa’s first lady captain

Koki is the first woman in the world to captain the world’s newest plane -the Boeing B787 Dreamliner and will yet again receive recognition for her pioneering role in Africa’s aviation industry.  She was recognised at Akwaaba in 2009 as the first African lady captain of a commercial airliner.
WIA International with headquarters in the US is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of women in all aviation career fields with over 10,000 professionals globally.
IGWC president, Mrs Ify Megwa, who will be leading the chapter to the fair, said: “We deemed it fit to honour one of our own. Capt. Irene has accomplished a feat no female has ever attained in Africa. In doing this, we are not only recognising her for been exceptional, we hope this will encourage more females to reach extraordinary heights in their aviation careers and also encourage young women to consider aviation as a career too.”
She added that: “We couldn’t think of a better medium to present this award to her other than Akwaaba, a credible platform that has consistently honoured pioneers in Africa over the years.”
Akwaaba, the only annual international travel fair in West Africa, with no less than 15,000 delegates from over 20 countries worldwide, will also honour Rwandan first female pilot, Esther Mwange at the three-day event from October 26.