The Kenya Airways has honored retiring Flight Purser Alice Waweru who has served the national career for the last 38 years.
Waweru’s tenure as cabin crew ended with a final flight to JFK, New York after 38 years in the skies with Kenya Airways.
“To honor her for the exemplary service, we mounted a ceremonial water cannon salute which took her by surprise.
Alice, who was joined by her family and friends, holds the distinction of having been the Flight Purser on our historic inaugural flight to New York,” said Kenya Airways in a statement.
Further, Kenya Airways wished a happy retirement and a lifetime of good tailwinds.
“I am so speechless right now. My journey at KQ has been marked by self-development, and now I stand ready for this new chapter and the exploration of new frontiers,” she said.
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Kenya Airways Water Cannon Salute
There are different circumstances that can lead to a water cannon salute at airports
To begin with, a flight might get a water cannon salute.
In addition to a captain retiring, a salute might mark an aircraft’s retirement, the arrival of a new aircraft, the arrival of a new airline into an airport, or the last flight out of an airport by a particular airline.
Essentially, like most salutes, the water cannon salute is a mark of respect.
In the process, several airport crash tender fire-fighting vehicles will arrange themselves perpendicularly along the sides of a taxiway or apron.
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They will then emit coordinated plumes of water and will form an arch (or series of arches) as an aircraft pass.
Who is a Purser
Every commercial flight will have a purser as part of the cabin crew team in charge of the cabin crew.
Also, they take responsibility for cabin safety, passenger experience, and much of the flight paperwork.
Pursers will often rise through cabin crew and will always be fully trained and qualified flight attendants.
Once onboard, the purser conducts all announcements over the PA system and updates the pilots on any information that they should know from the cabin.
Additionally, when working with passengers, they ensure landing cards are handed out, and keep travelers abreast of any changes in flight time, upcoming turbulence, and meal services.
However, the purser also ensures that any misbehaving passengers are dealt with adequately and any heated situations are resolved calmly.
Further, they will take responsibility for many of the administrative tasks during and after the flight.
This could include recording in-flight sales, reporting cabin problems or defects, and completing crew documentation or comments.
