‘A captain, a hero’: Devi Sharan, pilot of hijacked flight IC 814, retires after 40 years, Air India salutes legacy | Trending

IC 814, an Indian Airways (later a division of Air India) plane was hijacked by 5 terrorists in December 1999, simply 40 minutes after the aircraft took off from Kathmandu. There have been 179 passengers and 11 crew members on board together with Captain Devi Sharan.

Air India shared a video montage of Captain Sharan’s time in Air India together with footage of him receiving a hero’s welcome after days of negotiations by the Indian authorities introduced the hostages again dwelling.

The video included the final announcement made by Captain Sharan on his last flight from Melbourne to Delhi the place he seemed again at his journey with Air India. “That is my final flight and I couldn’t be extra grateful for a really memorable and wonderful profession. I wish to thank my passengers over time for giving me the chance to fly you safely again dwelling,” he stated, signing off, “Fly protected, fly excessive. Jai Hind”

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Chatting with Occasions of India, the pilot stated that the hijacking was one of many hardest days of his life. “IC 814 hijacking taught me life could be very unpredictable and one needs to be at all times able to battle again. These had been the hardest days of my life and my solely goal was to avoid wasting lives of everybody on that plane. I hope and pray no crew member, passenger or anybody else ever relives these moments,” he stated.

(Additionally learn: ‘Appears nothing has modified..’: Captain Devi Sharan remembers 1999’s Kandahar hijack)

The pilot revealed that the trauma from the incident left him with a heightened sense of hazard as at all times made certain to look at these round him to make sure every thing was alright, whilst a passenger on flights.