A Kenya Airways flight en route to Nairobi has made a
symbolic tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga by
changing its call sign midair to RAO001 upon entering Kenyan airspace.
In a heartfelt announcement shared on X (formerly Twitter),
Kenya Airways confirmed that Flight KQ203 would switch to RAO001 at
approximately 8:50 a.m. as it crossed into Kenya’s skies.
The gesture, according to the national carrier, is meant to
honor and respect the memory of the veteran opposition leader who passed away
on Wednesday morning in India.
“KQ203 will change to RAO001 as soon as we reach Kenyan
airspace at around 8:50 a.m. to honor and respect our departed leader. ETA at
JKIA is 9:30 a.m.,” read the statement posted by the airline.
The special call sign RAO001 reflects Raila’s initials and
signifies his stature as one of Kenya’s most influential political figures.
The flight, which is expected to land at Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA) at 9:30 a.m., carries a Kenyan delegation led by
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The team left the country on Wednesday evening for India.
A call sign is a unique identifying code or name used in
aviation, radio, and military communication to identify an aircraft, station,
or operator during communication.
The presidential call sign is usually KAO1.
