An all women crew of Air India flies to and from Sri Lanka to mark International Women’s Day

The flight, which flew from Chennai to Colombo and then from Colombo to New Delhi was piloted by Capt V Roopa and Capt Nimisha Goel, accompanied by cabin crew Ria, Zena, Ritika, Tianaro and Haritha.

The team was warmly welcomed by L Ramesh Babu and Neha Singh from the High Commission of India at a ceremony held at the airport.

They appreciated the initiative of Air India to appoint women in the key positions in its Sri Lanka office as a unique gesture in South Asia.

Air India in Sri Lanka is represented by women, in all key positions - Alice Joe Paul, Country Manager for Sri Lanka, Madhumita Gupta, Airport Manager and Thanuja Lankathilaka, the GM of Indusky Aviation, the Passenger GSA for Air India at Sri Lanka.

Incidentally, Air India is known to have supported women in various capacities over the years.

Air India flew the first round-the-world trip entirely staffed by women in 2017 -- the B 777 aircraft flew from Delhi to San Francisco on the Pacific route and then San Francisco to Delhi on the Atlantic route.  

In 1990, Nivedita Bhasin became the youngest women pilot in the world of civil aviation history to command a commercial Jet Aircraft at the age of 26 and Captain Durba Banerjee, the first Indian woman to become a commercial pilot also flew for the National carrier from way back in 1956.

The Air India also had Capt Saudamini Deshnukh as a Commander for its Boeing and Airbus fleet.

(Reporting by Shanika Sriyananda)