Date:20/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/20/stories/2006092006740400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Flying high with pride

T.S. Shankar

G.R. Gopinath and Captain Indira. — Photo: A.Muralitharan

CHENNAI: As part of its efforts to empower women, Air Deccan, the Bangalore-based no frills airline, has employed 34 women pilots.

"Given an opportunity, women power is unmatchable and that is the future challenge," Renuka Chowdhury, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, said pointing to woman pilot, Indira, who heads the Chennai airport operations of Air Deccan.

Be it politics or cockpit management, women have shown exemplary performance, she said.

Narrating various instances inside and outside Parliament of how she herself was heckled by senior male Parliamentarians, Ms. Chowdhury explained that women have come a long way and steered forward a vibrant India.

"We have a cohesive and excellent team led by Capt. Indira who has over 8,000 hours of flying experience in the Boeing-737 jets and after conversion tests, she has now migrated to flying the Airbus jetliners," Capt. G.R. Gopinath, Chief Executive Officer of Air Deccan said.

The airline had always favoured a policy of recruiting more women airhostesses for the cabin crew instead of male stewards.

Commenting on women taking to flying as a career, Capt. R. Nandkumar, honorary secretary of the Madras Flying Club, said it was heartening to note that more women were opting for flying as a career.