Solomon Airlines has kicked off 2023 with congratulations to pilot Lyndah Tito Owen on her promotion from Dash 8 First Officer to Captain of the national carrier’s largest domestic aircraft.

Captain Owen’s achievement was celebrated yesterday at Honiara Airport with an official presentation of her Captain’s epaulettes and a water cannon salute to mark the occasion.

Since achieving her air transport pilot licence (ATPL) and joining Solomon Airlines 13 years ago in 2009, Mrs Owen first flew as a full-time captain of the 19-seat De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft type.

In 2019 she qualified to become a First Officer on the 36-seat De Havilland Dash-8 aircraft, which today operates between Honiara and critical destinations, including Auki, Munda, Gizo, Santa Cruz and Kirakira.

Solomon Airlines Chairman Frank Wickham, Captain Lyndah Owen and Solomon Airlines CEO Gus Kraus

Most recently, she qualified and was promoted to Captain in command of the Dash 8.

Her first flight as a Dash 8 Captain in Command took place on Tuesday, 3 January, on the Santa Cruz to Honiara route, operating with Captain Geoff Posala.

“We warmly congratulate Lyndah on her hard work and achievements in order to reach her command position as a senior captain with Solomon Airlines,” said CEO Gus Kraus.

“We are tremendously proud of her, for her record of flight performance and for the example she has set for other young women and men, who may aspire to a flying career,” he said.

“Her promotion with the ranks of Solomon Airlines is also pleasing as we have a commitment to developing our people and our workforce in a way that generates employment opportunities within the Solomon Islands,” he said.

In 2017, Owen, as a Twin Otter Captain and then First Officer Patricia Avosa, made Solomon Islands aviation history when they operated Solomon Airlines’ first flight under the command of an all-female crew.

They flew a Twin Otter turboprop aircraft on some of the carrier’s busiest domestic services – the first time in the country’s aviation history.

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