A Special Mention To Air India's All-Women Crew In PM's Radio Address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, in his monthly radio address - Mann Ki Baat, hailed four women pilots of Air India who created history by completing the national carrier's longest flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru.

"Dear countrymen, you would have heard a few days back that four women pilots commanded a direct flight from San Fransisco in the US to Bengaluru. The flight, covering a distance of over 10,000 kilometre, brought over 225 people to India," said the Prime Minister in his first radio address, Mann ki Baat, of 2021.

Air India's longest direct flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru with the all-women cockpit crew had successfully landed in the southern city on January 11.

The national carrier had said the flight would be the longest commercial flight in the world to be operated by any Indian airline and the total flight time on this route would be more than 17 hours depending on the wind speed on that day.

The Prime Minister, highlighting women's achievements in every field, mentioned two women Indian Air Force pilots' feat in this year's Republic Day.

"You must have seen two women IAF officers creating history in this year's Republic Day parade. Be it any field, the participation of the nation's women is continuously increasing."

The officers were the first women pilots to participate in the Republic Day parade.

Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, the first woman in India to qualify for combat mission in a fighter jet, became the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the Republic Day fly-past. Flight Lieutenant Swati Rathore became the first woman to be part of the flypast over Rajpath as she flew a Mi-17 V5 helicopter in a formation of four choppers, reported news agency ANI.