KOCHI: The first flight which took off on Thursday to bring back expatriates from Abu Dhabi has Malayali presence. The co-pilot and three of the cabin crew members are from the state. Co-pilot Rizwin Nasar is a native of Chullikkal in Kochi. “It is a privilege and honour bestowed upon our team to be the first ones to fly out to bring back our countrymen from Abu Dhabi,” said Rizwin.
Anjana Johny, Riyanka Santhosh and Deepak Menon, part of the crew, agreed with Rizwin. Though they understood that the mission was rife with risks and challenges, they said they are fully prepared. “We have been given training for the mission by doctors of Ernakulam Government Medical College,” said Deepak.
“We are not afraid,” said Anjana.
“We are glad to be the ones who have been entrusted with such a big endeavour. We will bring our Malayali brethren back home,” she said. Riyanka said though the family members are afraid, they know the importance of their mission. “They are aware we will complete the mission successfully. We will be carrying out mission Vande Bharat as one,” she said.