Captain Zoya Agarwal’s Air India All-woman pilot team team scripts history by flying over world’s longest air route
In a historic move, Air India’s longest direct route flight with the all-women pilot team landed at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from San Francisco (SFO), flying over the North Pole and covering a distance of about 16,000 kilometers.
“It was an exciting experience since it was never done before. It took almost 17 hours to reach here,” Shivani Manhas, one of the four pilots, who operated Air India’s inaugural San Francisco-Bengaluru flight, told ANI.
The longest flight over the North Pole is another feather in Captain Zoya’s cap as she was the youngest woman pilot to fly a Boeing-777 in 2013. “I am the youngest woman commander in the world on Boeing 777. Women should have self-belief even if they face societal pressure not consider any task impossible,” she had said.
he became the first woman commander of Air India to command flight over the North Pole. Though Air India pilots have flown over the polar route earlier also, it is for the first time a team of women pilots flew over the North Pole.
Captain Aggarwal was joined by Captain Papagari Thanmai, Captain Akansha Sonaware, and Captain Shivani Manhas in the cockpit.
#FlyAI : Welcome Home
Capt Zoya Agarwal, Capt Papagiri Thanmei, Capt Akanksha & Capt Shivani after completing a landmark journey with touchdown @BLRAirport.Kudos for making Air India proud.
We also congratulate passengers of AI176 for being part of this historic moment. pic.twitter.com/UFUjvvG01h
— Air India (@airindiain) January 10, 2021
Before the flight Union, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri reacted over the history in making and had said, “Air India’s woman power flies high around the world, our Nari Shakti achieves a historic first.”
Way to go girls!
Professional, qualified & confident, the all women cockpit crew takes off from San Francisco to Bengaluru on @airindiain's flight to fly over North Pole.
Our Nari Shakti achieves a historic first. pic.twitter.com/X46cs73dQu— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 10, 2021
It was the first direct non-stop flight between the west coast of the United States and southern India.
“Imagine this: All Women Cockpit Crew. Longest flight into India. Crossing the North Pole. It’s here & happening! Records were broken. History in the making by AI176 from San Francisco to Bengaluru. AI 176 is cruising at 30000 feet,” Air India tweeted.
#FlyAI : Imagine this :
-All Women Cockpit Crew.
-Longest flight into India.
-Crossing the North PoleIt’s here & happening!
Records broken.History in the making by AI176 from @flySFO to @BLRAirport.
AI 176 is cruising at 30000 feet pic.twitter.com/kZ66hqiatq
— Air India (@airindiain) January 10, 2021