Distinguished 66-year-old Kenyan Captain Joseph Kinuthia made his last flight with the national carrier after serving Kenya Airways (KQ) for 42 years. Kinuthia who first hit the news headlines during Kenya’s inaugural direct flight to New York on Sunday, October 28, 2018, made his last flight on Tuesday, February 20.
In a report by local News, Kinuthia’s plane landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport amid pomp and
“I feel delighted and happy that the company did what it has done for me not only today but for the last 42 years. We have had a very good working relationship with the company, I have been very comfortable working for KQ and I hope they have been happy working with me,” said Kinuthia.
On its side, KQ thanked Kinuthia for his resilience, commitment, and dedication to service. “Today we bid farewell to a long-serving and loyal employee Captain Joseph Kinuthia. Thank you for the 42 years of unwavering service, commitment, resilience, and sacrifice that you gave to the KQ family,” said KQ in a Twitter post. Interestingly, he retired barely one day ahead of his birthday on Wednesday, February 20.
As earlier reported, Kinuthia started working with KQ in 1978 and he was chosen to fly the first direct flight to New York given his long-standing experience. At the national carrier, he was the senior most pilot and was in charge of training and sharpening skills of other pilots.
He begun flying while at a youthful age of 21 years and among powerful individuals he has flown include former president Daniel Moi. He also had late Pope John Paul II as a passenger headed to the UK on KQ when the Pontiff toured Kenya in 1995.
