Emirates fulfils African expat pilot’s dream to fly the A380
dubai — When Emirates Airbus A380 made its historic touch down at the Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 3 in October, it realised the dreams of many Ghanaians.
The special Emirates A380 was operated by Accra-born Ghanaian, Captain Solomon Quainoo and UAE national, First Officer Faisal Alhammadi.
Flying a plane was the ultimate dream of Captain Solomon and he fulfilled it with sheer determination.
In a heartwarming video shared by Emirates, Captain Solomon remembers how as a 6-year-old from a poor family in Ghana, he saw an aeroplane for the first time. “I decided to become a pilot on seeing the aircraft. People laughed at me considering the background I came from. I was made fun of for wearing gloves as military pilots did.”
Captain Solomon’s flying career spans over 14 years and he has spent seven and half of it with Emirates airline. During his stint, he has been a pilot for different types of aircraft including Boeing 777 and A340 before taking control of the biggest passenger aircraft in the world, A380.
Captain Solomon isn’t the only Ghanaian part of the landmark flight. It had Ghanaian cabin crew team member Miriam Gunu and airport services manager Sylvia Bash and members of the ground staff.
He has become a local hero after flying the Emirates A380. According to media reports, he is mentoring few aspirants in the UK from low-income backgrounds. “The youth need to believe in themselves and regardless of limitations and hindrances, once they believe and are determined, they will definitely achieve their dreams,” he said in a radio interview.
“I never dreamt that as an A380 captain for Emirates, I would be able to fly the biggest passenger aircraft A380 to Accra and be the first person to do that,” he says looking back at his journey.