Air India pilot fulfils air hostess mother's retirement wish by piloting her final flight on the job

It was a flight that brought a 38-year career full circle. Air India pilot Ashrrita Chinchankar flew the plane for her mother's final flight as an air hostess on Tuesday (July 31) from Bengaluru to Mumbai.

Madam Pooja Chinchankar's wish was to have her daughter pilot her last flight as cabin crew before retirement,and her daughter's tweet about fulfilling her mother's dream has gone viral.

Ms Ashrrita tweeted: "So happy and honoured to be able to pilot the one flight that mattered. It was my mum's dream to have me pilot her last flight as an air hostess with Air India."

"As she retires after her glorious 38 years of service, I will be carrying on with her legacy."

The post on Tuesday (July 31) has received almost 14,000 likes and 2,500 retweets.

Ms Ashrrita told the BBC: "I am both happy and overwhelmed. Happy because people can relate to the emotion, and overwhelmed because people are celebrating the goodness."

Ms Ashrrita also posted a video of passengers applauding her mother's service as Madam Pooja walked down the plane aisle, her eyes tearing up.

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Air India also tweeted a line: "The legacy lives on."

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The story also attracted the interest of Mr Praful Patel, India's former minister for civil aviation and a current MP. He tweeted: "Some of the most heartwarming and pleasant stories are the ones that happen in real life."

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As for Madam Pooja's retirement plans, Ms Ashrrita told the BBC: "She plans to travel for a couple of months, after which she will decide what she wants to do. She does love to cook.

"The best part about travelling without a fixed itinerary is not having a plan."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.