Who is Air India Captain Zoya Aggarwal? Her pilot dream come true story is super inspirational

Zoya Aggarwal Pilot News: Creating history, Air India's longest flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru with an all- woman crew landed in Bengaluru. "I was on top of the world" said an elated Captain Zoya Aggarwal, who headed the four-member all-woman cockpit crew that flew into Indian aviation history on Monday, landing the San Francisco-Bengaluru AI direct flight after going over the North Pole. 

(Captain Zoya Aggarwal: ANI photo)

As the flight (AI-176) landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and the crew members walked to the airport lounge, there was a huge crowd of people to receive them with elation and joy for setting a new record of an all-woman crew flying the longest distance over the North Pole.

Bengaluru: The all women crew of the inaugural flight of Air India from San Francisco to Bengaluru, from left, Capt. Papagari Thanmai, Capt. Zoya Aggarwal, Capt. Akansha Sonware and Capt. Shivani Manhas pose for a photo after the landing of the maiden flight, at Kempegowda International Airport (PTI photo)  

"I was on the top of the world. I would rather call it, top of the North Pole because the North Pole was the world for me when I was commanding that Boeing-777 200 LR above 34,000 feet," Zoya said.

Captain Zoya Aggarwal, of the inaugural flight of Air India from San Francisco to Bengaluru, pose for a photo after the landing of the maiden flight at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru (PTI photo) 

As AI-176 landed at the Kempegowda International Airport here and the crew members walked to the lounge, a huge crowd of people gave a rousing reception for scripting history with the about 17-hour journey, the longest flight by the national carrier or any other airline in the country.

No fear!

Asked if there was any fear flying over the Polar region, Aggarwal said she only felt excitement and her instructors had all along inculcated complete confidence in pilots like her.

"I am very motivated...I don't think the word fear exists in Air India. No, not at all," she said.

Thanking the ministry of civil aviation and the Air India for reposing faith on her and other crew members, Aggarwal said she was grateful, felt happy and humbled.

She also gave credit to the 'weather God' as the weather across the polar region was "immaculate and suitable in order to make a polar flight happen".

(Captain Zoya Aggarwal: IANS photo)

Broke glass ceiling

Aggarwal, hailing from a conservative family and the only child of her parents, broke the glass ceiling to become an AI pilot and carved a niche for herself by steering the inaugural flight from America.

"I am the only child of my parents. So, I grew up in a world where I was taught to walk behind the men and their shadows and to grow up and get married and look after my kids," she recalled.

Mom cried

She said when she told her parents her wish to become a pilot, her mother cried out of fear but now her mother's tears were out of joy.

The AI flight, after getting airborne from San Francisco under the command of Captain Aggarwal left the polar region at a speed of 940 kmph as Captain Thanmai, the second pilot, steered the aircraft.