Captain Joseph Kinuthia who was tasked with KQ’s maiden flight to New York in October last year has retired after 42 year pilot career.
The 65-year old Captain had over 25,000 hours of actual flying and another 15,000 in training by the time KQ was launching direct flights to New York.
With Kenya having entered the first mutual agreement with USA since 1988, President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the crew with the 65-year old Kinuthia taking charge of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Steve Nyamota, a celebrated KQ Flight Engineer, took on his official Facebook page to wish Captain Kinuthia farewell after 42 years of a distinguished career.
“Wishing captain Kinuthia all the best in his next life after 42 colourful years of service to Kenya Airways. Proud to have worked with him,” he said
In an interview with the Standard before the historical trip to New York last year, Kinuthia revealed his exciting moments, picking an opportunity to fly retired President Daniel Moi and Pope John Paul II as his best experience.
“I have flown former President Daniel Moi many times. I flew him to Belgrade when Yugoslavia was one unit through KQ’s Boeing 707, then I flew him to Beijing and then to Auckland. Probably, the crowing of my flying is when I flew Pope John Paul II when he came to Nairobi,” he recounted.