• His mother is Kenyan, his father Ethiopian. He grew up in Nairobi
The Muslim community in Mombasa on Tuesday evening mourned the pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday.
family and friends of Yared Getachew, 29, converged at the Baluchi Mosque for Swalatul Mait Al Ghaib — prayers conducted for departed souls whose bodies cannot be found.
His mother is Kenyan, his father Ethiopian. He grew up in Nairobi.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa on Sunday. It was bound for Nairobi. All 157 people aboard, including eight crew members. Thirty-two Kenyans perished.
The short service for Yared, led by Baluchi Mosque Imam Nizar Mohamed, was held immediately after the Magharib prayers. Family members were overwhelmed and only wanted to go home. Yared’s younger brother was devastated. The service lasted just15 minutes.
Yared’s dentist parents Rayan Shapi and Getachew Tessema live in Nairobi, where they raised Yared. They flew to Mombasa for the service. Yared’s uncle Khalid Shapi, the MD of Pollman’s Tours and Safaris Limited, also attended. Rayan, Yared’s mother, is Kenyan, while Tessema, his father, is Ethiopian.
The young pilot studied at the prestigious Oshwal High School and proceeded to the Ethiopian Aviation Academy to pursue his childhood dream.
Ethiopian Airlines’ group CEO Tewolde Gebre-Mariam said Yared was, despite his young age, an experienced pilot who had accumulated more than 8,000 flight hours since he joined the airline in November 2007.