Kaone Rubicellé Kamanakao is a distinguished Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation Safety Inspector. In May 2021, she was appointed to the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB), bringing over a decade of diverse aviation experience.
At 21, Ms. Kamanakao earned her Commercial Pilot License from Blue Chip Flight School in Pretoria, South Africa, where she was honored with the 2012 South African Designated Flight Examiner Award for exceptional aircraft handling and professionalism. She also obtained her Flight Instructor’s Rating from the same institution and subsequently served as a flight instructor at Botswana Flying Academy.
Throughout her career, Ms. Kamanakao has held various pivotal roles, including Line Pilot, Training Captain, and Flight Operations Manager. She also served as a Flight Operations Inspector with CAAB. Prior to her board appointment, she was the Aviation Ground Manager for Wilderness Air Botswana.
A graduate of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Ms. Kamanakao is dedicated to mentoring and educating women and girls in aviation and aerospace. She serves as the Executive Director of the Girl Fly Program in Africa Foundation (GFPA) Botswana and is the Founding President of Women in Aviation: Botswana Chapter. At CAAB, she chairs the Human Resource and Remuneration Committee.
