- Deepika Adhana, a 23-year-old pilot from Faridabad, rescued 169 Indians from UAE
- She received sudden orders to fly to Ras Al Khaimah amid US-Israel-Iran tensions
- The all-women crew faced a brief communication loss but landed safely in Delhi
In the middle of the war between the US, Israel and Iran, a young pilot from Faridabad, 23-year-old Deepika Adhana, played a key role in rescuing 169 Indians stranded in the UAE.
Hours before she took off for the tense mission, Deepika told her family, "Mom, bye bye. I don't know if I will come back or not."
She completed the rescue flight and brought passengers safely back to Delhi.
Deepika, a pilot with Air India Express, recalled that she received sudden orders on March 6 at around 10:15 am to fly to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE as part of the rescue operation.
Originally, her friend was supposed to operate the flight, but just two hours before departure, Deepika was instructed to take her place.
The all-women crew included Captain Jaswinder Kaur, Pilot Deepika Adhana, and four women crew members.
Deepika said that although there was some fear because of the war-like situation, the crew was assured about safety measures. They flew as they would on any regular day.
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Short Communication Breakdown
The flight landed at Ras Al Khaimah airport around 2:00 pm. Deepika said the airport looked quieter than usual, but there was no panic.
Around an hour later, 169 Indian passengers were boarded, and the return flight took off at 3:30 pm for Delhi.
During the takeoff, the crew faced a tense moment when contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) was briefly lost.
Deepika said the network failure lasted only a short while before everything returned to normal.
The plane later landed safely at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, where many passengers thanked the crew for bringing them home.
Speaking to NDTV, Deepika's mother said she remembered her daughter's words before she left, "'She said, Mom, bye bye. I don't know if I will come back or not.'"
When asked how she felt after learning that her daughter had safely brought people back, she said, "I was very happy. She has brought people from there. I am very happy."
A Dream Inspired By Her Grandfather
Deepika belongs to Faridabad's Tigaon area. Her father, Yogesh Adhana, is an architect, and her mother, Babli Adhana, is a homemaker. Her elder brother works in the banking sector in Mumbai.
Deepika said she chose this profession because it was the dream of her late grandfather, Amrit Singh Adhana, to see her become a pilot. "My family always supported me," she said.
Deepika completed her Class 12 from Tagore School, Ballabhgarh, in 2020. She began preparing for her Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) in Delhi, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced her to study from home for a year. She received her CPL in 2021.
In 2022, she went to Falcon Aviation Academy in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, where she completed 200 hours of flying.
In 2023, Deepika travelled to Greece and Istanbul for her Type Rating endorsement, where she trained on the Airbus A320.
She explained that while CPL training is done on smaller aircraft, type rating ensures that a pilot understands the systems, handling, and safety procedures of a specific large aircraft. Without this, pilots cannot fly passenger jets for airlines.
Deepika cleared both her written and interview with Air India Express in September 2023. She officially joined the airline in April 2024 and continues to work with them.
(With inputs from Jiender Beniwal)
