Amid tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, 23-year-old pilot Deepika Adhana from Faridabad played a key role in rescuing 169 stranded Indian citizens from the United Arab Emirates.
Deepika, who flies for Air India Express , received sudden instructions on March 6 around 10:15 a.m. to operate a rescue flight to Ras Al Khaimah. The mission came at short notice after another pilot scheduled for the flight could not operate it.
Before departing for the high-risk mission, Deepika reportedly told her family, “Mom, bye bye. I don’t know if I will come back or not.” Despite concerns due to the tense regional situation, the crew proceeded after receiving safety assurances.
The rescue flight was operated by an all-women crew led by Captain Jaswinder Kaur, along with pilot Deepika Adhana and four female cabin crew members. The team successfully completed the mission and safely evacuated 169 Indians, highlighting the professionalism and courage of the airline crew during a challenging operation.
