India: First all-women Haj flight takes off for Jeddah, carries 145 pilgrims

Tata Group's international budget arm Air India Express (AIXL) on Thursday operated India's first all-women Haj flight, the airline said in a statement.

This special flight, carrying 145 women pilgrims, was entirely managed by an all-women crew in all critical flight operations roles, supporting the Haj Committee of India's groundbreaking initiative to have only women passengers on board, it said.

The first all-women Haj flight, IX 3025, departed from Kozhikode to Jeddah at 6.45pm IST on Thursday, arriving in Jeddah at 10.45pm local time, according to the airline.

Pilot Kanika Mehra and First Officer Garima Passi were accompanied by cabin crew members Bijitha M B, Sreelakshmi, Sushma Sharma, and Subhangi Biswas, Air India Express said.

Besides, the ground operations as well as aircraft maintenance jobs for the flight were also performed by the women personnel, the airline said.

The Haj Committee's empowering initiative for women aligns perfectly with Air India Express' core values of equality and diversity, as the airline's workforce consists of 50 per cent women, it added.

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