Meet The 24-Year-Old Pilot Who Evacuated Over 800 Indians From War-Torn Ukraine

Amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a 24-year-old pilot from Kolkata has stunned everyone through her bravery by evacuating over 800 students from a warzone. Mahasweta Chakraborty, a member of 'Operation Ganga', played a crucial role in safely bringing back Indian students from war-torn Ukraine.

She flew six evacuation flights, including four from Poland and two from Hungary, between February 27 and March 7, to rescue stranded Indian students stuck between two countries' conflicts.

She said, "It was the experience of a lifetime, rescuing those students in their late teens and early twenties, many of whom had fallen sick and had traumatizing tales of survival," quoted The Times Of India.

Rescue Operation

India operated 77 evacuation flights to save its citizens from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Initially, Air India launched the operation, later other airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet, too, lent their services, and so did the Indian Army.

Chakraborty, who has been working with a private Indian carrier for four years, was selected by her airlines, informing that she has been chosen for the rescue operation. She recalls that she packed in two hours and flew to Istanbul, from where her team was instructed to operate the rescue.

She had to fly Airbus A320 for 13-14 hours a day, but it hardly registered as the rescued students re-lived their horror. She said that the students looked drained and were desperate to go back home.

Part Of Vande Bharat

Mahasweta Chakraborty always wanted to be a pilot and was also part of the Indian government's COVID-19 emergency operation 'Vande Bharat' during the initial phase of the pandemic. She flew oxygen contractor machines from abroad and vaccines to Kolkata and other airports from Pune.

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