JOIN USPooja Chinchankar could not hold back her tears. Having served as Air India’s crew member for 38 long years, she retired on Tuesday from service with her final flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru.
Passengers cheered as she walked down the aisle one last time. An in-flight announcement thanking her for her service was also made. But what made her farewell memorable was that her send-off in the air was steered by her daughter Ashrrita, a pilot with the airline.
Ashrrita, who witnessed her mother’s last stint as an air hostess from the flight deck, has been tweeting heartwarming messages about the “one flight that mattered” since Monday.
The tweets went viral on social media as followers showered both the mother and daughter with love and goodwill messages.
"Guys, tomorrow I will be flying with my mother on her retirement day, when she gracefully operates her last flight as an Air Hostess with @airindiain after 38 years of service, privileged to be her first officer tomorrow! #proud #grateful #happy," Ashrrita tweeted on Monday.
In another tweet, she said, "So happy and honoured to be able to pilot the one flight that mattered."
"It was my mom's dream to have me pilot her last flight as an Air Hostess with @airindiain. As she retires after her glorious 38 years of service, I will be carrying on with her legacy," the pilot said.
Ashrrita, who flew the aircraft on the Mumbai-Bengaluru sector, posted a third tweet this evening after an eventful day with a video showing the passengers clapping for Pooja.
"For all of you who asked, that’s mom on her last flight as an operating cabin crew for @airindiain what a lovely day and what amazing passengers! So many best wishes and hugs of course I was in the flight deck," she said.
An Air India spokesperson said that it was a coincidence that Ashrrita was flying the aircraft which was her mother's farewell flight.
"Our heartfelt wishes to your mother and you for this special flight when she passes the baton on to you to have the privilege of serving our passengers with dedication. The legacy lives on," the airline tweeted.