Saturday January 7, 2023
A young Jama Ofle piloting a plane during his training at Lufthansa Flight Academy in the mid 1960's. SUPPLIED
Kampala (HOL) - Somali Airlines Capitain Jama Ofle, a pilot who made history as the captain of the last international Somali Airlines flight in 1991, passed away on Friday in Kampala, Uganda.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdusalam Omer, who was a friend and a brother-in-law to the late captain,
confirmed Ofle's death on Twitter.
Captain Jama Ofle piloted the final 'White Star service' from Mogadishu to Frankfurt in early 1991, just as the Somali Civil War was beginning to escalate. The flight was the last journey of a once-proud national airline that symbolized Somalia's post-independence progress. Despite the difficult circumstances, Captain Ofle was remembered by crew and passengers for carrying out his duties with grace and bravery, ensuring the safety of all passengers on board.
The airline, which was once a symbol of national pride and a vital link for Somalia's international trade and diplomacy, could not withstand the war's devastating effects and the country's political instability and eventually was forced to suspend all flights in 1991.
The airline's planes and infrastructure were repeatedly targeted by the various clan factions warring for control of the country.
Captain Ofle, known by his peers for his professionalism and dedication to safety, made the journey in one of Somalia's recently acquired Airbus A310s, which was acquired through a lease agreement by Somali Airlines in 1986 for routes to Europe and the Middle East, replacing its aging Boeing 707.
Captain Ofle (black arrow) with other Somali Airlines pilots in this undated photo. SUPPLIED
The aircraft (Registration: F-ODSV) would exchange hands several times, including stints in Yemen and Qatar before being purchased by the Pakistani air force in 2007, where it's still in use.
After the final flight, Captain Ofle moved to Ottawa with his family where he eventually became a Canadian citizen.
In interviews, he spoke fondly of his time with the airline and the sense of pride he and his colleagues received by representing their country in the skies. Captain Ofle was among the first group of Somali civilian pilots to be trained in West Germany's Lufthansa Aviation Training Academy in the mid-1960s.
His death was a tragic loss for the Somali aviation industry and a reminder of the sacrifices made by Somali aviators who dedicated their lives to flying.