Tarek Kodjo Boustani

Tarek Kodjo Boustani was born on October 27, 1975, in Lomé, Togo to French-speaking Lebanese parents. He grew up surrounded by young Togolese and expatriates from many countries. He attended secondary school at the Lycée Francais in Lomé, and went on to complete his high school diploma in Dakar, Senegal. As a child, Tarek was passionate about aviation, and he earned his first private pilot’s license at the Aeroclub du Golfe in Lomé when he was just 17.

Early in his career, Tarek worked for well-known airlines such as Royal Air Maroc and (the now defunct) Air Afrique, where he was the youngest pilot ever to fly a Boeing. In the United States of America, Tarek worked as pilot for an air ambulance service in New Mexico, where the famous, mythical Route 66 often served as his landing strip. Tarek is a U.S.-licensed flight instructor, and since the early days of his career he has been responsible for flight training at the Aeroclub du Golfe in Lomé, one of the oldest private flying clubs in Africa, founded in 1934.

Tarek worked for the Togolese Presidency for many years and was piloting Togo 001 for President Eyadema after which he moved to France to join the fabled Aeropostale, famously associated with well-known pilots like Jean Mermoz and Antoine Saint-Exupéry.  After a few years with the Aeropostale in France, Tarek permanently returned to Togo and joined the newly created ASKY AIRLINES (a joint venture with the powerful Ethiopian Airlines) based in Lomé.

Tarek is currently the youngest flight commander and one of the first pilots to join this dynamic young company, full of promise for an equally young continent. Tarek has published many articles online, particularly showcasing encounters with Togolese citizens with whom he met all around the world, in addition to covering particular memorable trips. He holds the post of Director at Togo Métal et Bois (TMB), the family business trading in furniture and household and office furnishings in Lomé, founded by his grandfather and directed by his father.

With a continuing, deep interest in archaeology, especially underwater research and ancient Lebanese history (he holds deep-sea diving certificate), Tarek enjoys honoring his ancestors. He hopes to collect evidence of Lebanese expat contributions in societies all around the world, and has recently joined Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC, at the Notre Dame University-Louaize) as Liaison Officer for West Africa.  He welcomes this new challenge, because it will allow him to contribute in bringing disparate people closer together and to shed light on Lebanese achievements in West Africa.