A thrilling flight of honour and pride

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Boeing 737-800 twin-jet aircraft took off from the Trivandum International Airport on Sunday evening, reflecting the miles women had covered towards ensuring gender equality.
In the cockpit were Delhiites Captain Tanya Anand and first officer Captain Yuvika Sandhoo, taking the Air India Express flight IX 539 to over 300 knots over the Arabian Sea to Dubai, nearly 3,000 km away.
For the duo-part of an all-woman crew-in the cockpit, the flight on International Women's Day was one of pride and honour. It also reflected the faith of their employer has reposed on them.
In the cabin, Saina Mohan of Thiruvanathapuram and Renji R Nair of Pathanamthitta, were as busy tending to passengers as usual.
As the crew got together at the airport, Captain Anand said she took the opportunity as an honour. It was not the first time that the airline assigned an all-woman crew on international route, she said, adding that she had flown once before.
Mohan, with five years' experience seemed thrilled. It was her first on an international flight with all-woman crew. For her colleague Nair, it was her second.
They soon trooped out with others, including cabin crew Indira Das from West Bengal and Mousami Rani from Jharkhand to prepare the flight for its 4.55pm departure.
"The head office in Kochi informed us on Saturday that two international flights, one from Thiruvananthapuram and another from Kozhikode, will be operated exclusively by women. We managed to arrange the crew members at such a short notice," an airline official said.
At 7.30 pm, IX 363 departed from Kozhikode to Abu Dhabi with an all-woman crew. Crew members of both the flights were felicitated at the respective airports.