TNN
Jun 9, 2023
In what was most likely a historic first, a special Air India Express Haj flight to Jeddah was an all-woman affair.
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The flight IX 3025 took off from Kerala’s Calicut airport on Thursday evening.
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It was the first exclusive Haj sortie from the southern state this year in the non-mahram category.
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The category enables women above 45 and travelling in a group to make the pilgrimage without any male family member escorting them.
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All 145 pilgrims, those handling all ground operations and the crew in the cockpit as well as cabin, were all women.
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Junior minister for minority affairs John Barla who was at the airport to see off them, termed it a 'milestone in empowerment'.
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76-year-old Kozhikode native Sulaikha, the oldest among the 145 passengers, received her boarding pass from the minister.
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Captain Kanika Mehra and first officer Garima Passi piloted the flight, assisted in the cabin by Bijitha M B, Sreelakshmi, Sushma Sharma and Subhangi Biswas.
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The flight took off at 6.45pm and landed at Jeddah airport around 10.45pm local time, an official said.
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