Air India Express made history last Thursday by operating their first-ever all-women flight to Jeddah. Flight IX3025 took off from Calicut International Airport with 145 female pilgrims on board. From the flight crew to all critical flight operations, women handled every aspect of the haj journey.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla, flagged off the all-women flight. He also presented 76-year-old Sulaikha, the oldest pilgrim on the flight, with her boarding pass. The minister called the haj flight operation a milestone in women’s empowerment and asked the pilgrims to pray for India‘s prosperity and security.
This season, 16 flights exclusively for women haj pilgrims are being scheduled from Kerala, with 12 from Calicut airport, 3 from Kannur and one flight from Kochi airport. The ‘ladies without mehram’ category has 2,733 women pilgrims from Kerala, and among them, 1,718 will fly from Karipur airport, 563 from Kochi, and 452 from Kannur.
Air India Express recruited women professionals for the flight crew, cabin crew, and crucial ground tasks. Captain Kanika Mehra and First Officer Garima Passi piloted the flight, Bijitha M B, Sreelakshmi, Sushma Sharma, and Subhangi Biswas were the flight attendants. Women from Air India Express also handled the ground support tasks, including flight dispatch, aircraft maintenance, and monitoring the flight’s progress.
The all-women flight departed from Kozhikode at 6.45 pm and arrived in Jeddah at 10.45 pm local time. The same flight carried the returning passengers, including the all-women crew, back to Kozhikode.
This initiative displays the strength and spirit of women in aviation while providing a platform for women’s empowerment. The all-women flight was an excellent initiative to motivate and inspire women to pursue careers in aviation.
