British Airways celebrated International
Women's Day by seeing one plane take off with a completely female crew.
From check in, security and baggage handling to air
stewardesses and pilots, each of the 61 BA staff responsible for the BA1484
flight from London Heathrow to Glasgow were women.
Among the 204 passengers on board was TV presenter
Carol Vorderman, 57, who became a qualified pilot in 2014.
The former Countdown star is also an ambassador for
the Royal Air Force Cadets and wanted to take part in BA's March 8 celebrations
to encourage other women to get into the aviation industry.
She was one of the first off the flight in Glasgow on
Monday, and said: 'What an incredible day, I loved getting a sneak peek
behind-the-scenes at British Airways and meeting all the amazing women who,
like me, have such a passion for encouraging more young women into aviation.
'Spending the day with the students was great fun,
they're all so enthusiastic and they've got a wonderful future ahead of
them.
'The world, or plane, is theirs for the taking! '
She was met by BA's Glasgow Airport manager Phyllis
Stuart, who was celebrating 25 years at the airline as well as International
Women's Day.
Today is also a big day in the airline's history,
marking 108 years since Elise Raymonde Deroche became the first ever female
British Airways pilot.
The all-female flight was filmed for a special
behind-the-scenes video, debuting today.
Customers travelling on British Airways' short-haul
flights on International Women's Day today will be able to watch a video as
part of the in-flight entertainment showing the all-female team in
action.
Among those helping were two young air cadets on work
experience and seven teenagers aged between 16 and 18 who got a glimpse at the
inner workings of the flight.
The young aviation-enthusiasts said they had been
inspired by the experience.
Amy Charlton, of Chenderit Sixth Form, Middle Cheney
in Oxfordshire, said: 'The whole day had such an exciting atmosphere to it, a
real buzz!
'I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many of the women
involved, I didn't realise there were so many careers to choose from.
'The female pilot even let me sit in the left hand
seat with the captain's hat on, hopefully one day that will become a reality
for me.'
The students, who have all previously completed work
experience placements with British Airways, watched as the all-female team
prepared the aircraft for departure, with women loading bags into the aircraft
hold, undertaking engineering and safety checks and finally pushing back the
767, so that it could taxi to the runway.
British Airways Ramp Manager, Joanne Kershaw, said:
'So many people think the jobs on the ramp, under the wings of aircraft, are
just for men.
'I loved being part of a team of women at the top of
their game, working all together for the first time on one flight, to get it
ready and away on time for our customers.'
Cameras in the cockpit offered a bird's eye view of
their take off from Heathrow and landing into Glasgow Airport, and captured
their conversations with the three female air traffic controllers who guided
them out of Heathrow airspace.
British Airways Captain, Julie Levy, said: 'I'm
incredibly proud to have been a part of the team on our all-female flight.
'As a mum of two teenage daughters I think it's
crucial that we grab every opportunity we can to inspire the next
generation.
'There wasn't any visibility of female pilots when I
was growing up, so I think events like this are important to help show the
range of different careers that are available to women. I'm proud to be part of
an organisation doing something about that.'
On board the flight, cabin crew handed out special
cupcakes to customers on the flight with the hashtag #ProudtoBAwoman to mark
the occasion, with many travellers praising the project.
(Evangle Luo of TTFLY shared with you)
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