Air India operates 'world's longest all-women flight'

National carrier Air India on Monday said it flew the "world's longest" all-women operated and supported flight from New Delhi to San Francisco.

The flight, which travelled a distance of around 14,500 kilometre in close to 17 hours, was operated as part of International Women's Day celebrations.

The non-stop Delhi-San Francisco flight took off from New Delhi on March 6.

"This year for the first time, on the world's longest non-stop flight, entire flight operations from cockpit crew to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, ATC (air traffic control) and the entire ground-handling... were handled by women," Air India said in a release.

Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said it was a historic flight and "the longest operated by all-women crew".

"The airline has immense respect for women and it is a symbol of women empowerment," he added.

The flight was under the command of Kshamta Bajpayee and Shubhangi Singh, along with First Officers Ramya Kirti Gupta and Amrit Namdhari.

The carrier has about 3,800 women employees, including

pilots, cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel and executives.