New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) When AI 176, a Boeing 777 of Air India, touched down at Bengaluru's Kempegowda airport in the early hours of Monday, it was making history on several counts.

The flight was the inaugural long-haul service of Air India from San Francisco to Bengaluru, connecting the Silicon Valleys of the US and India.

The flight flew trans-Atlantic over the North Pole for over 17 hours non-stop, covering one of the longest air distances in the world.

More importantly, the flight was piloted by an all-women crew on the flight deck.

The maiden return service of the flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco was refuelled by IndianOil Aviation Service at Bengaluru, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) said in a statement.

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