Zoya Agarwal

Zoya Agarwal is an Indian commercial pilot who has flown for Air India. In 2021, Agarwal captained an all-woman crew making the inaugural flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru, one of the longest air routes in the world.

Zoya Agarwal
Born
Delhi, India
OccupationAircraft pilot
EmployerAir India

Career

In 2006, The Times of India highlighted Agarwal as a rising female aviator of India.[1] She became the youngest woman pilot in India to fly a Boeing-777 in 2013.[2] Agarwal garnered attention for her role in saving a passenger's life on a flight bound to New York in 2015. After a passenger complained of breathlessness, she decided to turn back the flight and land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, where the passenger was taken to a nearby hospital.[3][4]

As a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India initiated Vande Bharat Mission in May 2020 to evacuate around 14,800 Indians from twelve countries on sixty-four Air India flights. Agarwal was chosen to co-pilot the first repatriation flight by the airline.[5]

In 2021, Agarwal captained an all-woman crew making the inaugural flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru, one of the longest air routes in the world.[2][6] Later that month, the crew made an appearance on Indian Idol for its Republic Day special episode.[7] Later that year, Agarwal was chosen by the United Nations as its spokesperson for Generation Equality.[8][9]

References
  1. "Female Aviators Rising In India". The Times of India. 26 February 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  2. Soni, Mallija (9 January 2021). "Air India's Zoya Aggarwal to command world's longest route". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. Roy, Sidhartha (19 September 2015). "New York-bound AI flight returns to Delhi after passenger falls sick on board". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  4. "Air India flight to New York returns to Delhi for medical aid". Business Standard. Indo-Asian News Service. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. Raj, Ashoke (10 May 2020). "Under Vande Bharat mission, AI's first Mumbai-bound repatriation flight with 155 passengers departs from San Francisco". Asian News International. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  6. Warsi, Zeba (11 January 2021). "From a Little Girl.. I Commanded a Flight Over North Pole". CNN-News18. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  7. Keshri, Shweta (23 January 2021). "Indian Idol 12 welcomes Air India all-women crew on Republic Day special episode". India Today. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  8. Bose, Joydeep (13 August 2021). "'I wanted to touch the stars': Air India pilot Zoya Agarwal inspires women to dream big". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. "Air India's record-breaking pilot Zoya Agarwal selected for UN project". The Tribune. Indo-Asian News Service. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
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