June 23 marks the fifth commemoration of International Women in Engineering Day. The day is aimed at celebrating women thriving in what was traditionally a predominantly male-driven field.
International Women in Engineering Day holds particular significance for Proflight Zambia as it has several female engineers in its maintenance team.
Mutambwa Kasempa studied aircraft manufacture and maintenance in China before she joined Proflight in 2016.
Her role at Proflight is to make sure the aircraft are kept in good operating condition.
“I find engineering both intriguing and challenging, and I love a challenge. I’ve learnt a lot on the job and really enjoy my job,” she says.
Ms Kasempa works alongside Alina Shakumbila, with a more administrative role. She is a maintenance planner with the airline. Ms Shakumbila studied aircraft maintenance engineering at the Zambia Air Services Training Institute (ZASTI) and she has been working for Proflight for the last seven years.
Ms Kasempa maintains the records and documents of the airline’s aircrafts. She monitors the hours the aircraft have flown and schedules maintenance checks. Ms Kasempa loves working in engineering and believes more women should join the field.
“There is a misconception that engineering is hard. It is not, it’s quite fun and I hope more women can realise that and join the field,” she said.
Sifaniso Sitali, also a maintenance planning officer, echoes Ms Kasempa’s sentiments. “I do encourage women to join engineering, it is fulfilling field, and I look forward to seeing more women join us.”
Ms Sitali pursued a qualification in aircraft engineering because she had a passion for planes and wanted to work in aviation.
“I love being around planes and getting to work for an aviation company like Proflight that values our efforts is like a dream come true,” she added.
All three women are happy to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day and they hope the day will bring exposure to women in engineering and encourage other women to join the field.
“I would like to see more women in engineering, working together to contribute to the economy. I believe that anything a man can do; a woman can do too.” Ms Kasempa said.
About Proflight Zambia
Proflight Zambia was established in 1991 and is Zambia’s leading scheduled airline. From its base in Lusaka its domestic routes include Livingstone, Mfuwe, Ndola and Solwezi, and regional routes to Lilongwe in Malawi, Durban in South Africa.
The airline prides itself in providing a safe, reliable, efficient and friendly service, and offering good value to business and leisure travellers locally and internationally.
The airline operates a 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-100 jet, 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8-300, and three 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft.
More information is available at www.flyzambia.com.
