Captain Zoya Aggarwal, Captain Papagari Thanmai, Captain Akansha Sonaware and Captain Shivani Manhas at Kempegowda International Airport
With four women pilots, Air India's longest direct route flight landed at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from San Francisco on Monday. The all women cockpit crew consisted of Captain Zoya Aggarwal, Captain Papagari Thanmai, Captain Akansha Sonaware and Captain Shivani Manhas.
The crew operated the inaugral flight over the North Pole and covering a distance of about 16,000 kilometres. The aerial distance between San Francisco and Bengaluru is one of the longest in the world.
"It was an exciting experience since it was never done before. It took almost 17 hours to reach here", Shivani Manhas told media after reaching Bengaluru's international airport.
"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, "Captain Zoya Aggarwal said.
The inaugural flight AI176 departed from San Francisco in the USA at 8.30 pm (local time) on Saturday and landed at the Kempegowda International Airport at 3.45 am (local time) on Monday.
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