Covid-19 outbreak: She brought 263 stranded Indians home from Italy

AHMEDABAD: It was a proud moment for Gujarat when Air India’s commercial pilot, Swati Raval, brought home 263 Indians stranded in Italy — a country ravaged by the COVID-19 outbreak. Her safe return not just infused hope and optimism in hundreds of Indians and their families, especially in the times of Corona, but also did her family proud!
“She called me on March 21 evening after she was asked to go to Italy along with a crew of 22 people,” said S D Rawal, Swati’s father, while speaking to TOI.“I asked her what she had said and she instantly retorted, ‘I agreed to go’!”
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Raval went on to say: “I have been a forest officer and have invariably remained on government duty irrespective of the circumstance and I am so proud that my daughter did the same. She is fearless.”
Raval said that after Swati flew the aircraft to Rome, all passengers were ready, and she flew them back to Delhi. “I was definitely concerned about her all the while,” he said. “But the way she and the crew members bravely got all the passengers back home safe is commendable.”
Swati, who is a mother of two kids, took commercial pilot training from Rae Bareli and has been working with Air India since 2006.
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