On October 12, a technical issue occurred on an Air India Express flight carrying 141 passengers from Tiruchirapalli to Sharjah. As a result, before trying to land back at Tiruchirapalli, the aircraft had to circle in the air to lighten the fuel load. About three hours after takeoff, the pilots made a safe landing. The aircraft's pilots received plaudits on social media, and the governor of Tamil Nadu even thanked them on X for the safe landing.

Maitreyee, the eldest daughter of Shrikrishna and Rukmini Shitole, was one of the pilots operating the plane. The Shitoles, who are originally from Daund, have a son and two daughters. Rukmini oversees a paper tube manufacturing plant in Khed-Shivapur, while Shrikrishna operates a transport and crane company. We flew from Delhi to Pune when she was in class five or six. A female pilot was operating the plane, and the personnel allowed her to meet her in the cockpit. Speaking on Maitreyee, Shrikrishna remarked, "She declared at that moment that she would become a pilot and that even she wanted to fly a plane."

(Source: Google Images) 

Day of the incident ~ 

When a technical issue with the flight to Sharjah occurred on October 12, Maitreyee's younger sister was on her way to study in Germany. The family had no idea what was going on in the air since her parents were too busy saying goodbye to their younger daughter. Maitreyee called her mother to inform her of the news once the plane touched down.

“My legs froze for a minute listening to what she told me. She then added her father to the call and shared the news with him,” said Rukmini.

A Little Sneak Peak On Her Life, Setting Her Apart With Bravery ~ 

Maitreyee graduated from Sinhgad Springdale with a degree. Her intelligence was always evident: she had visited NASA after class 10 to participate in basic astronaut training for kids, where she also achieved the highest rating. But Maitreyee encountered an obstacle on her path. The family was informed that only people who have perfect vision—that is, no glasses—could become pilots when she was pursuing science after class 10. Maitreyee wore spectacles, and it was difficult to obtain reliable information because the internet was not as widely available at the time.

 “In Maratha households like ours, generally, daughters are married off at 21-22 years, so there was no one to guide her. She gave up on her dream and opted for a BSc in Physics from Fergusson College. However, later she got to know that her eyesight was within the acceptable range. So she went for pilot training after graduation,” said Shrikrishna. Maitreyee got her commercial pilot licence from Mainland Aviation College in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Shrikrishna expressed that they were quite pleased, noting that their daughter had landed the plane calmly and patiently. He mentioned that they had received countless messages and more than 500 calls from people inquiring about her. Reflecting on her career, he recalled how, when she was hired as a pilot, both he and Rukmini had advised her to consider the responsibility of flying so many people. "She proved this tonight, and we are proud of her," Rukmini smiled.