An all-women pilot team of Air India will write history by flying over the North Pole on the world’s longest air route. The flight will connect two global tech hubs- San Francisco and Bengaluru. The flight will leave San Francisco at 2030 hrs (local time) on January 9 and arrive at Bengaluru at 0345 hrs(local time) on January 11.
Air India pilots have flown over the polar route earlier also. But this is for the first time that a team of all-women pilots will fly over the North Pole.
The flight, AI176, from San Francisco to Bengaluru will operate on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
“Flying through the North Pole is very challenging and airline companies send their best and experienced pilots on this route. This time Air India has given responsibilities to a woman captain for the journey from San Fransico to Bengaluru via polar route,” an Air India official told ANI.
AI Captain Zoya Agarwal will be commanding the flight with her team on January 9.
“Most people in the world will not see the North Pole or even its map in their lifetime. I feel truly feel privileged and humbled by the trust posed in me by the civil aviation ministry and our flag carrier. It is a golden opportunity to command a Boeing 777 inaugural SFO-BLR, one of the world’s longest flight over the North Pole,” Captain Zoya said.
“I am extremely proud to have with me an experienced women team comprising Captains Thanmai Papagari, Akanksha Sonawane and Shivani Manhas. This is the first time an all-women pilots team will fly over the North Pole and create a history of sorts. It’s indeed a dream come true for any professional pilot,” she added.
Flying over the North Pole is extremely technical and requires skill and experience, according to aviation experts.
“The thrill of actually realising that you will be passing the North pole where the compass will flip 180 degrees…something which is fascinating indeed,” Captain Zoya said.
The distance between Bengaluru and San Francisco is approximately 13,993 kms and the two cities are located at diametrically opposite ends of the with a time zone change of approximately 13.5hrs.
The total flight time on this route will be of more than 17 hours, depending on the wind speed.
This will be the longest commercial flight in the world to be operated by Air India or any other airline in India.
