CEO LETTER
ELMAR CONRADIE
Welcome aboard this Fly Safair flight and thanks for choosing to fly with us today. We’re so grateful to have you aboard our aircraft and to be able to share our love of flying with you.
August is Women’s Month and it is an important time for us to reflect on the struggles that women in our country, and the world, have endured in order to have the same human rights as their male counterparts.
The roles and rights of women is a topic that is very close to my heart, and something that is very important to all of Safair as well.
Aviation has historically been a largely male-dominated industry, with women seldom being found in the cockpit, hangars, or behind executive desks. Thanks to the efforts of a number of spectacular women, this is changing.
Women have been gaining ground in our industry, with many entering into positions that were traditionally seen as “male roles”. I’m proud to report that at Safair we have women who work as pilots, aircraft technicians, in our flight operations, as well as in executive positions in our head office.
It’s with great pride that we recently had the opportunity to put some financial support behind an organisation that is actively working to attract more women to our industry, and to empower them within this industry. This initiative is called the Girl Fly Programme in Africa (GFPA) Foundation, and we had the opportunity to sponsor their 2018 Aviation and Space Camp.
This camp introduced more than 120 high-school girls from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to the aviation and space industry. By all accounts the camp was a great success and I certainly hope that we get to see some of these young women in our halls and cockpits once they’ve completed their education.
The distinct passion that Safair people have for the aviation industry is widely recognised and we’re always keen to share this passion. But I do strongly believe that it is particularly important that we work to attract young women into aviation, not only to offer more opportunities to women in South Africa, but also for the betterment of our industry.
Speaking of betterment, you know that we are always working hard to improve our service, and a crucial part of that is receiving useful feedback from our customers. When you have a moment, please share your thoughts with us by popping an email to feedback@flysafair.co.za.
For now, though, please sit back, relax, and let our teams take excellent care of you.