Irene Koki Mutungi

"We have to prove ourselves, women, we can do it maybe even better."

"I get to experience the extremely busy airspaces and adverse weather, which is a challenge I like to take on. The airspace in Africa is not as busy and we don’t have extreme weather like hurricanes, snowstorms, etc"

"There was also uncertainty of how my male counterparts would accept me with all the stigma surrounding the male-dominated career, as I would have been a first."

"Coincidentally, the passenger who declined to fly with me was on my first Fokker 50 flight from a city in Kenya, Kisumu. He said he was not a guinea pig to be flown by a woman."

"As a mother of boys, I’m all for empowering women, but let’s not forget the next generation of boys."

"I would definitely encourage more young women to consider careers in the aviation industry."

"I think the one thing that stood out for me when it comes to hurdles is having been the first woman and the only woman in the airline"