In September 2015, Sizakele Petunia Mzimela founded Fly Blue Crane and became the first black woman to own an airline.


The businesswoman began her career with South African Airways (SAA) in 1997 as a market analyst. She rose to become SAA CEO from 2010 to 2012.

Under her leadership, SAA grew by leaps and bounds, adding eight regional routes in one year and introducing direct flights to New York and Beijing.


Having served with distinction, she started a venture of her own, Fly Blue Crane, which she also heads as CEO, now has two 50-seat ERJ 145 aircraft and offers low-cost domestic flights in South Africa.

She has revealed that her airline intends to expand into the Southern African region, including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Democratic Republic of Congo.