Amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, a young pilot from Faridabad played a crucial role in bringing stranded Indians back home. Twenty-three-year-old Deepika Adhana helped rescue 169 Indian passengers from the UAE during a special flight operation.
As per a report of NDTV, before leaving for the mission, Deepika told her family about the uncertainty surrounding the flight. Speaking about the moment, her mother later recalled and shared, “‘She said, Mom, bye bye. I don't know if I will come back or not.’”
Despite the tense situation, the rescue operation was completed successfully, and the passengers were safely brought back to Delhi. When asked how she felt after learning that her daughter had safely brought people back, she told NDTV, "I was very happy. She has brought people from there. I am very happy."
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Rescue mission during tense conditions
Deepika, who works as a pilot with Air India Express, said that she received sudden instructions on March 6 around 10:15 am to fly to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE as part of the rescue mission. The flight was originally scheduled to be operated by one of her friends, but just two hours before departure, she was asked to take over the assignment.
The rescue flight was operated by an all-women crew that included Captain Jaswinder Kaur, Pilot Deepika Adhana and four female cabin crew members. Deepika said that there was some concern because of the war-like situation, but the crew had been assured that all safety measures were in place. They carried out the flight as they would on any regular day.
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The aircraft landed at Ras Al Khaimah airport at around 2 pm. According to Deepika, the airport appeared quieter than usual, but there was no panic.
About an hour later, 169 Indian passengers boarded the aircraft, and the return flight took off for Delhi at around 3:30 pm. During takeoff, the crew faced a brief, tense moment when communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) was lost. Deepika said the network failure lasted only a short time before contact was restored.
The flight eventually landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where many passengers thanked the crew for bringing them home.
Journey of Deepika Adhana
Deepika comes from the Tigaon area of Faridabad. Her father, Yogesh Adhana, is an architect, while her mother, Babli Adhana, is a homemaker. Her elder brother works in the banking sector in Mumbai.
Speaking about her career choice, Deepika told NDTV that becoming a pilot was the dream of her late grandfather, Amrit Singh Adhana. “My family always supported me,” she said.
She completed her Class 12 from Tagore School in Ballabhgarh in 2020 and began preparing for her Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) in Delhi. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to continue her studies from home for nearly a year. She eventually received her CPL in 2021.
In 2022, Deepika trained at Falcon Aviation Academy in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, where she completed around 200 hours of flying. Later in 2023, she travelled to Greece and Istanbul for her Type Rating endorsement and trained on the Airbus A320 aircraft.
Deepika explained that while CPL training is done on smaller aircraft, type rating training is necessary to understand the systems and safety procedures of larger passenger planes. Without it, pilots cannot operate commercial airline flights.
She cleared both the written test and interview with Air India Express in September 2023 and officially joined the airline in April 2024.
