Safety Tips for The Aviation Industry
Toolbox Talk with S.H.E Masters is celebrating phenomenal women in commemoration of the International Women’s Month which will be celebrated globally on the 8th March 2021. This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge and with that S.H.E Masters has invited four women that will be featured in our program in this month of March to honour them and appreciate them.
In this episode our guest was from the Aviation industry and she shared safety tips for passengers to be aware of when travelling by air, her involvement in the country to inspire a young girl child and her career path.
Below is the summary of her conversation with S.H.E Masters.
Introduction
Our Guest Ms Kaone Kamanakau is a young Motswana woman Pilot from Maun Botswana and has been in the Aviation industry for more that 7years. She is currently an aviation consultant with multi-engine instrument Rating. Kaone is also involved in organisation like Women in Aviation Botswana and Girls flight program in Africa Botswana which promotes the involvement of women in this industry.
Impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry in Botswana
The aviation industry has been deeply affected more so that Botswana depends more on tourism and most of the clients are international. The closure of the aviation due to the pandemic meant a lot of jobs are lost, businesses closed and even the local air travel was affected especially for the tourism destination like Maun and Kasane. Most of the country’s GDP comes from tourism through which aviation within the areas of Maun contribute more. At the current moment things are getting better but it will take a while for the industry to recover from the loss.
Safety tips to passengers’ post covid-19
- Always follow the aircraft safety instructions by the pilot and cabin crew.
- Ensure you read the safety cards provided to you to familiarise yourselves of what to do in case of emergency.
- Avoid blocking emergency exits by taking videos and selfies when there is an incident or emergency as this will compromise effective implementation of emergency safety measure by crew and the safety of everyone in the flight.
- Make sure you follow the Covid-19 regulation which include proper wearing of mask for the duration of the flight, sanitizing of hand and constant disinfecting your sitting area with wipes provided.
Explaining IWM theme #choosetochallenge
As young woman in a male dominated industry the theme is about challenging the status core that this industry is expected to be for ‘Caucasian’ men or older people to show experience as opposed to a young black lady like Kaone. Her mission and dream are to change that mind set and create plat forms for young girls to learn more about the industry and the other sectors within. This she does throw her organisation Girls for Aviation Botswana which offers mentorship, career guidance and training to aspiring young girls looking to venture into aviation. She also stated that she wants to see more women in the industry hence her organisation.
Risk associated with aviation.
In Botswana especially in Maun area the main risk is wildlife as charter flights operate within the Okavango/wild region. Sometime a pilot will have to be very vigilant and to practice safety measures for the wild animals which might be on the runway. The main aim is to ensure the safety of our passengers, staff and animals that could be affected by our activities with the motto, ‘’leave safely and arrive safely’’.
Conclusion
Safety in aviation is paramount as in other industries. It is the pillar of the daily activities of the workforce within this industry. As we celebrate International Woman day, we honour young women like Kaone who have conquered the odds of being a woman and facing a challenging male dominated career to the core. We celebrate her and clearly see from her ambition that with challenge comes change which is a process.
