| Lyna Mohamad |
ROYAL Brunei Airlines’ (RB) Captain Sharifah Czarena Suriany binti Syed Hashim was honoured as a 2018 inductee to the International Forest of Friendship. She is the first female captain on any flag carrier in Southeast Asia.
The announcement was made yesterday at a ceremony at the Sejahtera Hall of the Royal Brunei Recreation Club where Co-Chairman of the International Forest of Friendship, Dr Linton Wells II presented the certificate.
CEO of RB Karam Chand in his speech noted that Captain Czarena is an asset not just to RB but also an inspiration to all Bruneians to reach their dreams.
“We are extremely proud of her achievements and contributions to RB and the nation, and we are immensely proud and honoured to have her receive the honorary award as a 2018 inductee of the International Forest of Friendship,” he added.
“I am deeply humbled and feel truly privileged to be receiving this honour today,” said Captain Czarena.
The International Forest of Friendship in its statement said that it will also recognise Royal Brunei Airlines for having the first female captain in any flag carrier in Southeast Asia and for the all-female aircrew that Captain Czarena led to Jeddah on Brunei Darussalam’s National Day in 2016.
Captain Czarena will be inducted during an annual ceremony to be held in Atchinson, Kansas, the United States in September.
Captain Czarena started flying in 2004 where RB seconded her to Logan Air in Scotland for 18 months and she came back in 2006 to fly RB’s Boeing 767. Her career progressed quickly becoming a senior first officer in 2007. In 2012, she flew the Boeing 777 where she got command as a captain.
Although Czarena is the third local female pilot, she is the first local female captain.
The International Forest of Friendship is an arboretum and memorial forest beside Lake Warnock in Atchison, Kansas. It is a memorial to the men and women involved in aviation and space exploration. The forest was started in 1976 by the city of Atchison and the Ninety-Nines, an international organisation of women pilots. The forest contains trees representing all 50 American states and the 35 countries where honorees reside.