Passengers hail first all-female crew flight |24 August 2007

It was Chang-Leng’s first commercial flight since she became a flight captain on Tuesday, when she was presented with her four bars by Air Seychelles’ chairman and chief executive, Captain David Savy.

The plane touched down at the international airport on schedule at 12.20 p.m. after completing the flight.

First Officer Lishad Peermohamed-Matharu assisted Capt Chang-Leng as her co-pilot whilst a nine-member female cabin crew under the supervision of cabin services officer, Brenda Esparon, complemented the crew.

The other crew members were Jacqueline Andrews, Nathalie Berlouis, Fiona Louise, Nella Samson, Sonia Isaac, Juliette Lajoie, Lena Vidot and Joanne Auguste.

As the big jet, which had 239 passengers and three infants on board landed, airport and airline staff at the airport clapped cheerfully, and journalists who took the return flight from here told Nation that there was similar applause from travellers in the cabin.
“It was absolutely fantastic,” television reporter Srdjana Janosevic said upon disembarking.

As the plane taxied towards the terminal buildings, the crew and passengers were given a water cannon salute that was mounted by the Seychelles Fire Brigade Services based at the airport.

Asked the point at which she felt most elated, Captain Chang-Leng said that she has felt a sense of achievement all through her 10-year-career as a pilot, but that yesterday was certainly the climax.

She described her 10-strong crew as very cooperative.

“I felt responsible and I wanted to make it a good flight. Teamwork on the ground and on board helped a lot,” she said, describing the trip as “a flight gone just as planned.”

She said that on the return leg they came across some strong winds, but added that she did not have to make any non-routine decisions, but was prepared to do so if the need arose.

Hailing her aptitude for decision-making, the airline’s director of operations, Capt. Francois Jackson, told Nation that during her training, Capt. Chang-Leng had to deal with a wide possibility of scenarios in the simulator, including handling simulated engine failure on take off, during flight or on landing.

One of the passengers, James Morris, who was on transit to London, described the flight as a good one, saying it made no difference to him that the crew were all women.

A lady who accompanied him said that Capt. Chang-Leng sounded very confident and enthusiastic when she spoke to the passengers during the two-and-a-quarter-hour flight.
The crew members were treated to a special reception in the “Salon Vallee de Mai” CIP Lounge at the airport, where they were presented with flowers by the airline’s director for human resources, Marja Karjalainen.

In his message to congratulate Capt. Chang-Leng on Tuesday, President James Michel said the new flight captain’s success reflected the importance of investing in people for the future of Seychelles.

“We have always sought to place people at the centre of development, for it is through our human resource development that Seychelles will be able to rise to the challenge of our time,” the Head of State said.

He added that he knew Capt. Chang-Leng’s parents must be extremely proud of her as well, and that she stands as an example for all to follow, especially young Seychellois women.