A lifetime in aviation

From a refueller to airport station controller, Air Namibia’s Martin Andreas is officially going on retirement, after almost 40 years working for the national airline. Martin Andreas has been devoted to Air Namibia for close to four decades, and leaves a stable station behind as he enters his retirement this Friday. From humble beginnings, Martin joined Air Namibia (Namib Air at the time) on 10 February 1978 as a refueller for aircraft at Eros Airport. He was responsible for quality control of aircraft fuel before refuelling the aircraft. “I had to make sure that the fuel is not mixed with water before refuelling. When fuel for aircraft has been transported, it needs to be stable for a while before refuelling to ensure that dirt and unwanted substances remain at the bottom of the container, while clean oil emerges at the top,” he explained. Three years later, in 1981, Martin was transferred to the workshop division, working as an engineer assistant. He was primarily responsible for the maintenance of jet engines, replacement of jet tyres and greasing of jet bearings. He served in this position for two years, before he was reassigned back to be a refueller. Apart from being a refueller, Martin was also responsible for training and mentoring new refueller trainees mainly on how to test the quality of avgas before refuelling. He held this position for four years, from 1983 to early 1987. A highlight in his career that Martin will always keep close to his heart was when he was appointed as avgas station manager for fuelling aircraft in mid-October 1987.Northern transferThis appointment meant that he had to be transferred to Oshakati. “I was delighted with this appointment, as I was entrusted with more responsibilities that are very critical to the daily management of the national airline. It was also a great opportunity to reunite with my family in the north,” he proudly said. It was in April 1994 when Martin was appointed as the station manager for the Ondangwa Airport, after the airline’s offices moved from Oshakati to Ondangwa. He served in this position to his retirement. His day-to-day work is to oversee the smooth running of the station, making sure that flights depart on the scheduled time and other duties, including managing staff under his wing. As Martin reflects on 39 years of his time at Air Namibia, he recalls various developments that took place at the national airline. “I have seen Air Namibia grow from small company to a bigger and better company over the years.” He continued: “When I started in 1978, the company was known as South West Airways, and later renamed Namib Air the very same year. Following Namibia’s independence in 1990, Namib Air was renamed Air Namibia. In the early years, Air Namibia only had four small aircraft: a five-seater, eight-seater, 22-seater and the biggest being a 55-seater aircraft. Today, Air Namibia boasts a fleet of 10 aircraft operating nationally, regionally and internationally.” ‘Humble leader’Air Namibia’s acting managing director Mandi Samson described Martin as a humble leader who served customers with a sense of humility, selflessness and commitment. “Martin’s attention to detail, while keeping the broader picture in mind, has been invaluable. His willingness to put in extra time and effort to complete tasks within deadlines has demonstrated commitment to achieve excellence.” During his career, he acquired valuable skills in the aviation field through countless training courses and workshops. Martin narrates, “For 39 years I worked at Air Namibia, I have gone through multiple training courses; from airport operation training to ground handling, aircraft loading and other supervisory training.” Joining the aviation industry at the youthful age of 21 and spending most of his life at Air Namibia, Martin said that he will always be grateful and indebted to Air Namibia for being part of his life. “I will miss my Air Namibia family, more especially my colleagues at Ondangwa, and the friends I have made over the years. But closer to my heart, I will miss the beautiful landing and taking off of our aircraft. As I go on retirement, I would like to wish the company all the best with its current and future plans.”STAFF REPORTER

A lifetime in aviation

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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A lifetime in aviation

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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