Seychellois pilot working with Emirates welcomed at State House |15 December 2021

President Ramkalawan with Mr Lesperance (Photo: Jude Morel)

“He heard me making my public address in Creole and following that he wanted to have a chat with me and this is the reason I am at State House today.”

This is how Bernard Lesperance, a Seychellois pilot working with Emirates Airline, explained how he got to pay a courtesy call on President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House yesterday morning.

Mr Lesperance was flying an Emirates Boeing 777 from Dubai to Seychelles on Monday morning and on board was President Ramkalawan who had asked for them to be introduced and for the pilot to further meet up with him at State House upon hearing him delivering his onboard public address in Creole.

“We talked about my career with Air Seychelles and with Emirates Airline which has given me the opportunity to enhance my experience and to develop my career further,” said the 44-year-old pilot.

He added that opportunities do exist for Seychellois pilots who want to pursue a career in aviation overseas.

Mr Lesperance was born in England but raised in Seychelles. He joined aviation in 1999 and did his pilot training in South Africa the same year.

He returned in 2000 and worked for Air Seychelles for ten years, after which he joined Emirates Airline.

Patrick Joubert