Ouloassia Jennifer Yhaye is one of Africa’s youngest female airline pilots. As noted by The Duchess International Magazine, the Ivorian graduated from Morning Glory International School (MGIS) in Abidjan in 2012 and acquired a baccalaureate in pure mathematics, physics, and instrumentation and control by 2014, being already fluent in French, English, and Spanish.
Yhaye then relocated to South Africa and enrolled in the famed 43 Air School (PTY) Ltd., a school noted for producing top-tier aviators, where she got her commercial pilot diploma in 2016, following two years of grueling training.
After turning 20, the trailblazer went back to her native Ivory Coast and was employed by Air Côte d’Ivoire. She immediately established herself as a first officer on the DASH 8-Q400 aircraft at Asky.
Making even more of an impression on the aviation world, she increased her experience to include flying the ATR 42/72 and B 737 800. By July 2019, she had built up more than 800 flight hours, a notable accomplishment for any pilot.
In 2019, the Ivorian State awarded her the Excellence Prize for the best contribution to the aviation industry, citing her exceptional accomplishments and unwavering commitment to her career.
As per YOP.LFrii, Yhaye became one of the youngest pilots to fly a Boeing 737 at the age of 24.
Africa got its first female pilot in 1964 but the great achievement was not enough to encourage other women to get into aviation. Over the years, women were only training as flight attendants which seemed to be the most attractive work for them within the aviation sector. Piloting was left for men until women started gaining an interest in the field to create diversity and have their dreams come true.
Today, a global survey shows that women pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians have seen an overall increase from 4.5% worldwide in 2016 to 4.9% in 2021. It also said that Africa has the highest percentage of women pilots (5.2%). This is an increase from 4.1% in 2016.
