Yesterday afternoon, B737 First Officer Selai Saumi was confirmed as Captain, becoming the first ever Fijian female to assume command in the Fiji Airways jet fleet.

“Congratulations and ‘wananavu’ ‪#CaptainSaumi, from all your colleagues at Fiji Airways! We’re checking the history books, but Captain Saumi might actually be our first ever female captain,” Fiji Airways said in a statement.

Background:

Captain Saumi joined Fiji Airways in March 2007, and was previously a First Officer on the Boeing 737 and Second Officer on the Boeing 767.

Her responsibilities include teaching aircraft performance to new Boeing 737 pilots.

She is a qualified crew resource management instructor and a combined crew resource management facilitator.

Aviation is in her blood – her late father, Captain Nacanieli Saumi, was a Boeing 737 check and training captain for Fiji Airways.

She was educated at St. Anne’s Primary School and St Joseph’s Secondary School.

She is from Totoya, Lau.

She started her flying career in Australia, and later flew turboprops with Air Fiji.