Running and overseeing operations of an airline in the country and world over is considered one of the toughest yet rewarding job. The aviation industry is one of the sectors mostly affected by the pandemic that has destabilised the global economy.
Aviation bosses are thus required to work round the clock to ensure that all operations are in sync bearing in mind that planes and airlines are delicate and a simple mistake might lead to a disaster.
In Kenya, there are several private owned aviation companies that compliment the services of the national career, Kenya Airways which is led by Allan Kivaluka as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
But how exactly does a normal day in the life of an aviation boss look like? We take you through this journey as told through the eyes of Moses Mwangi, the Managing Director of Fly748.
Mwangi has dedicated 26 years of his life to a career that aims at transforming the aviation industry. Having worked in the breweries industry for the early part of his life, he joined Fly748 nine years ago.
At that time, the company had only five planes. His first task being new in the industry was embarking on a journey to assemble a collection of lavish jets to offer service. He waded through the murky waters of a financial meltdown to see the company own the 26 planes it has currently.
A day in his life as an Aviation boss
Mwangi wakes up at 4am daily. To keep fit and get prepared to handle his daily duties, he hits the gym for 45 minutes or alternatively goes for a morning run covering a distance of at least 9 kilometers.
After finishing the morning workout, he gets ready to hit the road and leaves the house at 6:30am and is in his office at 7am for his first engagement.
Upon finishing the daily brief in the morning, Mwangi meets the Director of Flights Operations, Heads of Safety and then winds up by meeting engineers attached to the airline.
By 10am, Mwangi notes that he has handled everything regarding operations.
"In aviation, you should have identified and resolved your problems and figured out your day by 10am," Mwangi told Business Daily.
Daily Challenges
The aviator noted that fuel costs is one of the biggest challenges he has had to deal with since joining the aviation industry. He has to strike a balance and ensure there is sufficient fuel while also making sure all the other needs of the airline are met.
“Jet fuel is a commodity like any other. In the last 20 years, the price curve has been going up and down. The best it got was Ksh3,207 (USD28) on the lower side and the worst was Ksh17,182 (USD150) on the higher side per litre, but never lower or higher than that. That said, the world has more oil than it needs,” he added.
Mwangi, further noted that major fuel consumers such as airlines feel the pinch in short term. He specifically lamented over the punitive taxation of aircraft parts, 80 per cent of which are imported from North America.
But on the positive side, Mwangi noted that what makes his daily work easy and efficient is the professionalism in the country.
"Most countries lack the capacity that we have. We have more qualified professionals than any African country. Some of them work in major airlines globally," he remarked.
Before signing out, he ensures that all planes are accounted for by receiving a briefing from Director of Flights Operations, Heads of Safety and engineers at the airline.
