KUCHING: He started out as an aircraft cleaner but, as fate would have it, he now helms the very same company, Hornbill Skyways, as its chief executive officer here.
By all accounts, his journey has been a long flight which took him halfway across the world at one point and little did he realise that he would one day rise to dizzying heights at home.
And that’s exactly what transpired last year when he was handed over the reins of Sarawak’s premier aviation company.
But it has not been a textbook ride to success for Wan Mohamad Ali Wan Abdullah, who initially, at the age of 18, pursued his dream of becoming a police inspector.
He was accepted into the police force but withdrew after his parents, concerned over the risks associated with the profession, intervened and persuaded him to choose a safer path.
Redirecting his aspirations, Wan Mohamad Ali set his sights on another uniformed career – becoming a pilot.
While awaiting his Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) results, he took on a part-time job as an aircraft cleaner with Hornbill Skyways.
“Billy and I were the first aircraft cleaners for Hornbill Skyways,” he said this, proudly, reminiscing his early days stationed at the company’s hangar here, maintaining four helicopters and aircraft.
He revealed that after receiving his exam results, he applied for and secured a flying scholarship offered by Hornbill Skyways.
“I underwent rigorous training at the British-run Singapore General Aviation School, joining the first batch of four scholars alongside the late Mohamad Yusof, Lim Kim Sia and Thomas Lim.
“The training, described as military-like, spanned two years and included a strict 7pm curfew, even on weekends and public holidays, 26 academic papers, and 200 flying hours,” he said.
Upon graduating, he embarked on a professional flying career with Hornbill Skyways.
Fuelled by ambition, he then later joined Malaysia Airlines, where he realised his dream of piloting the iconic Boeing 747, famously known as the “Queen of the Skies”.
When Malaysia Airlines underwent restructuring in 2006, he transitioned to flying for Kazakhstan’s national airline before returning to Malaysia six years later.
He subsequently served with AirAsia for five years.
“My journey came full circle when I was recruited back to Hornbill Skyways, this time as a designated pilot for Sarawak VVIPs.
“It never crossed my mind that I would return to the very company that gave me my first job,” he said, reflecting on his career spanning three decades.
Under the leadership of then-chief executive officer (CEO) Miron Kumer Ganguly, Wan Mohamad Ali served as Chief of Flight Operations.
Following Miron’s retirement, he officially assumed the role of CEO in April 2024.
“I was just a boy from Kampung Sebuyau who wanted to see the world,” he said.
Today, Wan Mohamad Ali, who turns 65 this August, continues to lead Hornbill Skyways with the same spirit of perseverance and dedication.
Happily married with five children and eight grandchildren, he maintains an active lifestyle, running daily on the treadmill at the encouragement of his children, and finds joy in gardening during his leisure time.
He still cherishes a Rolex GMT-Master 1, an antique pilot watch purchased with his early savings, kept in pristine condition — a symbol of how far he has come.
Wan Mohamad Ali’s story stands as a testament that with determination, even the most humble beginnings can soar to great heights.
