On Monday morning an all-women cockpit crew of Air India made history with the landing a direct flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru at Kempegowda International Airport. This was the longest non-stop flight by any Indian airline, AI said in a statement. Operated by four women pilots, the flight covered a distance of 16,000 kilometres and flew over the North Pole. "Today, we created world history by not only flying over the North Pole but also by having all women pilots who successfully did it. We are extremely happy and proud to be part of it. This route has saved 10 tonnes of fuel," said Captain Zoya Aggarwal.
The official Twitter handle of Air India also congratulated the captain, her crew and the passengers for being part of this historic moment.
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One of the four pilots, Shivani Manhas, who operated the inaugural San Francisco-Bengaluru flight said, "It was an exciting experience since it was never done before. It took almost 17 hours to reach here."
The other two pilots in the crew were Papagari Thanmai and Akansha Sonaware. The four pilots also became the first all-women cockpit crew to operate a flight over the North Pole on their way to Bengaluru. They are operating a Boeing 777 200 (long range or LR) VT-ALG -- named 'Kerala', according to TOI.
Captain Zoya Aggarwal
Captain Aggarwal has a flying experience of more than 8,000 flying hours and command experience in a B-777 aircraft of more than 10 years and more than 2,500 flying hours. "When I joined Air India, I was one among a handful of women pilots. Everybody saw me as a kid but were very supportive. Nonetheless, it is a male-dominated field. You do have to work hard, not as a lady pilot, but as a pilot itself because it's a very responsible job," she told India Today in an interview.
"I am flying in command for the last 8 years, and it's been a tremendous journey. In 2013, when I became Captain, my mom cried again but this time with the utmost joy," Zoya recalled.
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On the flight's take-off, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri had tweeted, “Air India’s woman power flies high around the world.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too congratulated the women pilots on their historic feat in a tweet:
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