Bengaluru: The world’s largest passenger plane Airbus A380 operated by Emirates first landed at the Kempe Gowda International Airport on October 15. For Emirates, Bengaluru is the second City in India to host the A380, with Mumbai joining in 2014.
This flight that will take off from Dubai on October 30 and land in Bengaluru on October 31, now has another connection with the State. It will be a proud moment for all Kanndigas and particularly for Mangalureans from Coastal Region as the pilot on the day is from Karnataka, Richelle D’Souza. She will operate the flight from Dubai to Bengaluru. She hails from Mangaluru and is now settled in Dubai.
Her father, Richard D’Souza is working in Dubal, Dubai, and her Mother Dulcine D’Souza works as Secretary in the Gulf too
Speaking to News Karnataka, Richelle said that, for her the quote by Confucius, ‘Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’, holds true on most days. “Flying gives me a sense of purpose. I feel like a bird. I enjoy it. It is a job that I am still curious about and learn about everyday. It is a job, where I can do better every time. I like the people I fly with and the cultures I get to experience. I’m certainly looking forward to operating the A380 into Bengaluru. Bengaluru is where I first started my professional career as a pilot and it’s a privilege and an honour for me to fly into the City that has played such a pivotal role in helping me carve my path to the present,” she expressed.
To girls and boys aspiring to become pilots, she says, “I’d say that your perspective on life will always define your reality. You also get to choose your perspective. There will be successes, challenges and failures in any profession. We all face them and yet are not defined by them. They are all learning curves and our greatest potential lies in how we respond and relate to these experiences.”
Speaking to News Karnataka Richelle’s father said, “Every time it is a proud moment for us as and when she flies the biggest plane in the world. Relatives and friends are really happy. And when they came to know that my daughter is flying 380, they were surprised and all appreciative. Her initial interest was to become a heart surgeon but my senior suggested her to become a pilot. Later on she showed more interest in piloting.”
The thing we all love about her is that she is very down to earth, he adds proudly.
It can be recalled here proudly that another pilot from Coastal region, Sandeep Prabhu from Udupi District in the State had successfully flown the same flight and had first landed in Mumbai. After landing in Bengaluru, Sandeep Prabhu had addressed the passengers on flight in Kannada leaving the passengers onboard surprised. Currently, he too lives in Dubai.
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world’s largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus series started in 1988 and the project was announced in 1990 to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market.
