This International Women’s Day will be different in many ways. And for all the people who are travelling today, watch out! You could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Air India is flying as many as 52 flights with an all-women crew on 8th March 2019. These include one of the world’s longest direct flights from New Delhi to San Francisco.
India’s flagship air carrier will fly a total of 12 international flights with only women in charge of the cabin and cockpit: New Delhi-New York; New Delhi-Washington; New Delhi-Chicago, New Delhi-Sydney; New Delhi-Rome; New Delhi-London, New Delhi-Shanghai, New Delhi-Paris, Mumbai-New York.
In addition, they will also fly 40 return domestic and short-haul flights. Every member of the team: from the flight’s pilots to the ground handling staff, and even the technical staff-engineers, flight dispatchers and doctors are women.
Apart from Air India, other airlines like Go Air, IndiGo, and SpiceJet are also doing similar things. They are also flying with all-women crews to mark the day.
Air India in its statement said it would operate 52 flights to celebrate the International Women’s Day. “Air India is set to fly 12 all-women crew flights on its medium and long-haul international routes and over 40 return domestic and short-haul flights all over India to celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8 this year,” it said in a statement.
The airline on its official Twitter handle said: “Air India celebrates women day… every day working in tandem to soar high in all spheres from the board room to the skies. We salute their power today with record 52 domestic and international flights propelled by all women crew.”
The airline said it would deploy its B787 Dreamliners and B777s aircraft to operate the aforementioned 12 international flights.
“Women pilots and cabin crew will be operating Airbus family aircraft as well as dreamliners to over 40 domestic destinations and back to commemorate the occasion,” the airline added. AI Chairman Ashwani Lohani said that it was a proud moment for the entire company that its women employees were leaving a mark at the global scale. “I would like to congratulate our women crew for operating so many flights on various international and domestic routes fuelled by their indomitable ‘nari shakti’ (women power).”
Domestic carrier SpiceJet, on its official Twitter handle, said: “The world wouldn’t be the same otherwise. SpiceJet wishes all of you a very Happy Women’s Day.” IndiGo, largest carrier in India in terms of market share, said the International Women’s Day is about equality, justice, inclusivity, and rights.