Air India to fly 20 domestic flights with all-women crew

New Delhi: National carrier Air India will celebrate the International Women's Day on Tuesday by operating 20 domestic flights manned by all-women crew.

"Air India will fly 20 domestic flights with all-women crew on March 8 to observe the International Women's Day. The details regarding their routes and timings are expected to be disclosed by Monday evening," an airline official told IANS on Sunday.

Air India has already created a record by flying the world's longest flight operated by an all-women crew on Sunday. The airline's San Francisco-bound AI 173 took off from New Delhi on Sunday morning and will return to the national capital on Tuesday.

"The national carrier supports the cause of women in every area," Harpreet Singh Dey, president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association, said.

Air India celebrates the Day every year by deploying women crew on its select international and domestic routes.

The New Delhi-San Francisco flight saw women handling all operations ranging from cockpit to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, entire ground handling staff from operators to technicians, engineers and flight dispatchers and trimmers.

Air India has 3,765 women employees, including women pilots, cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel and executives.