Who is the real force behind Westair?

In the next few months those who make FlyWestair possible will be introduced to you, one by one. You will meet our pilots, our ground-crew, those who work behind the scenes in finance and operations, in maintenance, as trainees and strategists, deal-makers and groundbreakers. Meet the first of many faces behind Westair.

Tanja Kaufmann – Chief Cabin Crew

The perfect person to have on any flight is Tanja Kaufmann. She sees to it that everything is top-notch, especially the safety before, during and after a trip. But more than that, she sees to it that passengers are happy. “I love sharing the pleasure of flying. When I see people getting off the plane, it’s great to see them smile,” Tanya says. She has been in aviation practically since she was a baby, when her parents started a charter company at Eros Airport which she eventually joined. After the death of her father, Tanya and her mother continued running the business, but when it was time for her mother to retire, Tanya decided to join the Westair team. Her coworkers are like family and her frequent fliers are her friends. She radiates positivity, a mindset she hopes inspires the people around her.

Tjivaripo Kapi – First Officer: Turbines

Born in Opuwo, Kaokoland, Kapi grew up in his home village, herding goats. At the age of twelve he went to school for the first time and skipped two years to catch up. After passing his matric examination he went to Russia to study medicine on a scholarship. He would have liked to become a pilot, but the training was too expensive. Not even the combined salaries of all the members of his family would have covered the tuition fees. Later he found out that scholarships for aviation were available from the NCAA and applied. “I wouldn’t have dropped out of medical school if it hadn’t been for what I really wanted to do”, Tjivaripo says. Since he wanted to increase his night hours and get hands-on experience, he received the opportunity to fly charters at Westair. “You get to fly to lodges, eat for free, stay there for free, and they call it work...” he grins. “You also meet people from all over the world and learn from them. Meeting clients is where hospitality starts, welcoming people to Namibia. Their stay starts with you, their expectations start with you, it’s all up to you. All of the guests I have flown are my friends now.”

Pauli Witt – Aircraft Maintenance Engineer & Quality Controller

In his younger years Pauli Witt was the flight engineer, positioned close to the pilot and the co-pilot, on a massive four-engine DC6, as they flew food aid into Angola. His position was a big responsibility - monitoring all the aircraft systems - and it was a little bit scary. He had joined the Air Force straight after school for his conscripted military training. When peace came, Pauli found that his airforce licence wasn’t valid in the civil sector and had to do his training all over again. Today he is probably the oldest maintenance engineer at Westair. He sees it as an opportunity to teach the next generation.

Jonas Swartbooi – General Worker

“When my children see a plane flying in the sky, they say: ‘Daddy worked on that’.” Jonas Swartbooi is from Maltahöhe. He left school after grade 10 to play soccer for his local team. As a young boy, Jonas often visited his grandfather on the farm during weekends and worked next to him, watching and learning. When his soccer team broke up, Jonas had to find work in Windhoek and started at Westair as a cleaner. However, his skilful hands soon got noticed by maintenance engineer Pauli Witt, who took him under his wing and trained him to assist in the workshop. Today, Jonas loves learning as much as he can, enhancing his capabilities and passing on knowledge. After all, knowledge is life-changing.