At least ten Rwandans are set to boost the country’s aviation industry after completing two years in mechanical engineering studies.

The group is part of 201 students who graduated from the Ethiopian Aviation Academy in Addis Ababa, recently, in various aviation disciplines, including piloting, mechanics and other aviation services.

Twenty of them graduated in piloting, 96 in mechanics, 44 in marketing and 37 cabin crew.

The 96 mechanical graduates completed two years of training. Among them are 10 Rwandans that include two women.

Vital Nyabenda, a Rwandan, emerged the best in the group.

The graduates are set to work in RwandAir, the national carrier.

The pass out ceremony was attended by the Chief Executive of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, Lt Col Ndore Rurinda, the defence attaché at Rwanda’s embassy in Addis Ababa, as well as other high-ranking officials from Ethiopian government.

Developing aviation industry

Gebremariam welcomed graduates in the aviation profession, challenging them to make use of their skills to develop aviation in Africa, a sector which seems to be lagging behind.

After the graduation ceremony, the graduates had a delightful moment with Rwandan community in Ethiopia.

Col Rurinda tipped the graduates on the importance of discipline and challenged them to play a significant role in the country’s development.

Alex Kamurase, the head of Rwandan community in Ethiopia, commended the graduates for their participation in different activities that bring together Rwandans in Ethiopia and urged them to put the same effort in their duties.

Leopord Manzi, who spoke on behalf of the graduates, thanked the Government of Rwanda for the help it provided during their two-year course.

He also thanked his peers for their hard work that resulted in a Rwandan scooping the first place in the mechanic unit which proved they deserved to be sent there.

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