Who is the Real Force behind Westair

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.

Karel Jankowitz

“We’re not fixing problems for today, we are doing it for tomorrow. Continuous improvement, that’s what I’m striving for,” says Karel, Chief Quality Assurance Manager of the Westair Group, who describes his position at the company as “the guy standing next to the road with a torch, pointing out the rocks and the holes so that you don’t fall into them.” His passion for aviation is what led him to Westair in the first place. “I already worked here when I was still at school. I would come to wash airplanes and clean tyres with the hope to go for a “flip” (a quick flight).” That passion for the industry hasn’t subsided, only matured. “You see the grey hair? It is a very satisfying job, but you have to have it, you have to be a bit OCD, just a tiny bit. Because if you don’t follow the rules and regulations, and something goes wrong, they can close the company. It’s that serious.” Karel’s background is in mechanical engineering, but that was not really what he wanted to do. Instead he chose to become a pilot while working as an aircraft engineer. He has since worked in almost every position at the company, getting a sound understanding of how the company works. “The fact that I get paid for doing my job is actually a bonus.”

Mapurakuume Mbaroro

Starting out as a sweeper when Westair was still a small company with only about 50 employees, Mapurakuume couldn’t help but become interested in the aeroplanes and eventually worked his way up to become one of the technicians in the maintenance team. “My managers are really the best guys you can work with. They can handle any situation. You say you are stuck, they say ‘try it this way’. You can even call them at night when you are stuck; they will help.” Coming from a rural background, airplanes were things Mapurakuume saw high up in the sky. “In my village, I am the only one who works on aircraft. They ask me many questions.” Now he is working towards obtaining a mechanical engineering licence. “Every aircraft is different, every aircraft you have to get to know from the start.” His passion for perfection in his work often sees him driving back to the hangar at night to check that his work was correct. “Working with aircraft is difficult and stressful, but interesting. To me, it is a good thing.”

Elmarco Hoff

“It was a bold move, but it was an opportunity to enter a new market,” says Elmarco Hoff, who is the Financial Controller at Westair. “Although we’ve been in aviation for so long, the airline industry is slightly different now. It’s a different ball game.” Originally from Windhoek, Elmarco was recruited by Westair when he came home after finishing his degree in BComm Financial Accounting at Stellenbosch University. About the new direction the company is taking and about the new endeavour with FlyWestair, he says, “I bought into the idea, recognising the growth potential, and there was a need. Where there’s an airline there’s definitely growth. I find that exciting.”

Hendrik Du Bruyn

“I am a very loyal person, so I stick to where I am, but I have to say, I’m also very happy. The company looks after me, so from my side I look after the company,” says Hendrik, who as Workshop Manager ensures that everything in Westair’s hangar runs smoothly. “It’s important to me that the guys under me also have a positive attitude. I see that as part of my role in the company.” Hendrik has worked at Westair for 21 years, knowing from the start that he wanted to work with planes. “I was never so much into the flying part. Working with my hands was my passion.” With all the changes happening at the company, Hendrik says he is enjoying the growth. “We are in it together, the challenges and the growth, we jump in and make it work.”

Francois Hugo

“I know it’s going to be exciting, we’re scoring goals, we are doing things that should have happened long ago in the aviation industry,” says Francois Hugo, Managing Director of Signa, a subsidiary of Westair. Educating the next generation of pilots is a passion for Francois, who headed the metamorphosis of the Westair Flight Training Academy into the Signa Aviation School in 2014. “I had a vision for how we could build and structure it, because there were no customer service orientated flight schools in Namibia at the time and that’s what I wanted to do,” he adds. “The name Signa is Latin for standards. And that is our ultimate goal, to be the highest standard of aviation training not just in Namibia but in the world.” Now Francois enjoys seeing the next chapter of Westair’s legacy play out. The addition of the large Embraers to Westair’s fleet provides him with further challenges and rewards. “There’s nothing better than taking someone who has never flown an airplane before through the training process and then be there when they make their first solo flight.”

Dannika Ham

“The cool thing about Westair is that there are so many opportunities and I really appreciate that I can grow with the company,” says Dannika, Charter Coordinator, whose passion for flying put the twenty-year-old on a determined path from a very young age. “The thing with aviation is, it’s a passion, not a choice. It’s a lot of study work, and as a pilot you never stop studying and you always get tested, because you have people on board and it’s their lives in your hands.” Dannika began working at Westair as a means of supporting her passion for flying. She is busy obtaining her Private Pilot License and says, “My funds were running low and what’s better than working in the aviation industry?” Dannika was already familiar with Westair after a threemonth stint with them during her Grade 10 holiday. “They really helped me out, that’s why I’m trying to give back what they gave me. Doing a good job, sometimes putting in the extra hours, just trying my best.”