Bengaluru: Air India created a history in the Aviation sector when it's all women crew flew non-stop from San Francisco to India's Karnataka Capital Bengaluru with 238 passengers in the early hours of Monday.
The 17-hour journey in the skies, the longest non-stop route to an Indian city, ended in jubilation as the Air India flight (AI 176) touched down at 3.07 am. The flight had taken off from San Francisco on Sunday.
Flying over the North Pole, this is also, arguably, the second-longest route in the world for a commercial flight. The landmark flight spanned a distance of 13,993 kms, linking two tech hubs located diametrically at opposite ends of the world with a time zone change of about 13.5 hours.
Commanded by Capt Zoya Aggarwal, the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft also had in the cockpit Capt Papagiri Thanmai, Capt Akansha Sonaware and Capt Shivani Manhas. Captain Zoya has a flying experience of over 8,000 hours and has over 10 years of experience.
A large mediapersons gathered at the Bengaluru Airport as the four pilots emerged from the arrival terminal and welcomed them with a huge round of applause. The beaming foursome showed no signs of any jet lag as they proudly proclaimed their arrival.
For passengers too, the epoch-making trip was a game-changer.Operating on Saturdays and Tuesdays, the aircraft can accommodate eight First Class, 35 Business Class and 195 Economy Class fliers besides four cockpit and 12 cabin crew. The first flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco is scheduled to take off on Monday
