(December 6, 2022) On June 19 this year, when one of the engines of the Delhi-bound Boeing 737 SpiceJet aircraft caught fire mid-air, moments after take-off from Patna airport, the top most priority before Captain Monicaa Khanna, the Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft, was the safety of passengers.
After all, there were 185 passengers on board and their lives depended entirely on Captain Monicaa and her moves. The situation was grave and one wrong move could up in a disaster of enormous proportions.
But Monicaa kept her cool and so did the first officer Balpreet Singh Bhatia. She swiftly took the well-thought-out call of switching off the affected engine, followed all SOPs and made an emergency landing at Patna airport saving all lives on board.
Captain Monicaa Khanna
“Duty comes first in such challenging times. My job demands situation awareness and spontaneity,” smiles Captain Monicaa Khanna, speaking exclusively to Global Indian.
Her wit and bravery not only earned her accolades worldwide, many even compared her to Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger, known for his heroism after he landed a US Airways flight 1549 in Hudson River following a bird strike which disabled both engines, saving all 155 lives on board. “In my case, the passengers remained calm and I am grateful to them for that,” says Monicaa.
The pilot says there was no moment to sulk in, that day. “Our reflex actions quickly triggered us into taking all necessary steps to safely land the flight on ground,” recalls Monicaa, who has flown to Dubai and Hong Kong besides several routes domestically.
She completed her flight training from Bluebird Flight Academy in Canada, which is one of the best flying schools, internationally.
Always on the move
Born and brought up in Delhi, Monicaa always saw herself and her two siblings on the move as her father, Ashok Kumar Khanna, who was an engineer at BHEL, had a transferable job.
“It was a challenge to make new friends and accustom to new culture at such young age. But those experiences taught me a lot,” says the ace pilot. By the time she reached eighth grade, the family shifted back to Delhi and she completed her schooling from Adarsh Public School, Vikas Puri and went to Delhi University for B Com.
Among the siblings, Monicaa was the closest to her father, who, by then had shifted to a private company – a job that took him to frequent tours.
A dream that turned into passion
As a child, Monicaa would get very disheartened and even start crying whenever her father left home for work-related tours. He used to console her saying he would ask the pilot of his plane to fly over their house so that they could wave at each other. “How joyful will that be?” he used to tell her and leave.
Monicaa would then spend hours in her balcony waiting for an aircraft to fly above her house. While at it, a thought hit her. “What if I become my dad’s personal pilot so that he will not have to leave me behind?”
The thought triggered her interest in flying and soon decided to become a pilot. “Flying is my passion. Every day, I get to fly with someone new which provides an opportunity to know my colleagues within the company, collaborate and deliver the best customer experience,” informs Monicaa, who recently switched over to Air India Express from SpiceJet.
A believer of work ethics
So how does the flight commander prep up prior to flying aircrafts? “On flight days, I take enough rest before flight, practice mindfulness and exercise. I have a nice home-cooked meal if I am flying from Delhi,” smiles the pilot, who firmly believes that mental and physical health are the most important assets which one needs to work upon regularly.
She has different schedules every day. It ranges from 3-4 hours of flying time to maximum of 8 hours. “After a long flight, I crave for some coffee on the way back home,” says Monica, adding that the atmosphere in the cockpit is professional and demands high work ethics.
Long flights become worth wen you fly such decent people#legendaryactor #dadsfav #loveforaviation 💓✈ @VinodKhanna pic.twitter.com/lyfE5HTUU2
— Monicaa Khanna (@monicaakhanna) August 6, 2016
Once home from work, she gets all the affection from her pet Tobby. After a quick meal, she catches up with friends and family. The pilot has a habit of reading a book before going to bed without fail.
Monicaa’s mantra in life is to live in the moment. “Life is short and I can’t afford to miss these moments,” says the pilot who practices mindfulness for improving her concentration.
She has fond memories of her trip to Mauritius with her mother Kusum Khanna. “She has been my inspiration ever since I was a child. While my father would be away at work, she held the family together, imparting the best values in the three of us,” says Monicaa, who loves listening to Bollywood and Punjabi music besides binge watching Netflix.
