Air India felicitates all-women flight crew

The national carrier today felicitated the crew who operated its all-women flights, including the one that encircled the globe, on the eve of International Women's Day.
Air India has flown 10 all-women crew flights on international as well as domestic routes as part of the celebration.
This includes, its round-the-world flight from Delhi to San Francisco and back.
Some of the other destinations include Vienna, New York, London, Kathmandu, Singapore on international routes and Allahabad, Patna, Jaipur and Hyderabad on domestic routes.
Air India's Boeing 777-200LR, which landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport after completing its journey, flew over the Pacific route on its way to San Francisco and then flew back to Delhi via the Atlantic.

"It is a moment of absolute pride and honour for Air Indians that our women employees are writing their names in the annals of the aviation sector on a global scale.

"I would like to congratulate our women crew on creating history by operating first ever all-women operated flight around the world and other flights on various routes," said Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India.
A 28-year-old co-pilot on board the San Francisco flight, Captain Gunjan Aggarwal, described what she felt about her experience.
"What I take away from this special flight is that I am not going to take for granted the fact that I am a woman pilot. There have been many women before us who have shattered the glass ceiling and have paved the way for those like me."

Captain Nivedita Bhasin, who has flown for over 30 years and became the youngest pilot in civil aviation history to command a jet aircraft at the age of 26 back in 1990, said, "Air India flew an all-women crew flight for the first time in 1985 on the Calcutta-Silchar route. So, it is not merely about records anymore but about motivating and inspiring young women to fly".
On International Women's Day tomorrow, Air India will also be taking around 50 women on a joyride from Delhi to Agra on its ATR-72 aircraft which too will be operated and supported by an all-women crew.