The daughter of a couple who boarded the hijacked flight IC 814 was inspired by her parents' ordeal and is all set to become a pilot.
Netflix’s web series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack opened to mixed reviews. The gripping storyline of the infamous hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999 has opened up many debates on social media. Amid the ongoing discussion, the survivors of the attack have been coming forward to discuss what exactly happened during those frightening seven days.
The tragedy was surely an inspiration to many. One such person is Shivangi Menon, whose parents were on board of the ill-fated IC814 as they had boarded the flight from Kathmandu to Delhi. In an interview with News18, Shivangi’s father, Bipin Menon shared an interesting memory from the day the flight was hijacked and said:
“The flight was late and we were all seated at the lounge; I remember the hijackers, as we later came to know them, were eyeing us. It made us uncomfortable, but we didn’t take much note of it then. In fact, I remember I asked one of them, who later called himself ‘Burger’, about the flight timings.”
While growing up, Shivangi started asking questions about the hijack, and her parents would tell her all the details. Soon, she became interested in the aviation sector and decided to become a pilot. Shivangi is currently under training to be a pilot with Air India Express. Revealing her joy to fly in a few days, she said:
“IC 814 hijack was a turnaround moment in the aviation sector in India. Initially, I would ask my parents and then I began to read. There was no Google back then, but as it picked up I began to search for information. I watched the documentary on National Geographic, where there are shots of my parents returning from their honeymoon. I was very inquisitive. I wanted to know how to handle such a situation. “
Earlier, in an interview with India Today, Pooja Kataria, who was one of the passengers on board of the hijacked flight, revealed that she received a shawl from one of the hijackers named ‘Burger’. The hijacked had even signed one end of the shawl, and it could be read as:
"To my dearest sister and her handsome husband, Burger - 30/12/99"
Abhinav Bindra’s series has showcased many shots of the actual hijack. With 173 passengers on board, the visuals of the flight parked on the tarmac of Kandahar are considered among the longest Hijacks in India's history. The show featured veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur. Vijay Varma played the role of Captain Sharan Dev, head pilot of IC 814.
Shivangi’s parents' traumatic ordeal has only inspired her to join the aviation sector.
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