Tag: Qatar Airways

Malala Anniv Of Taliban Shooting

Malala Visits Pakistan On 10th Anniv Of Taliban Shooting

By LokMarg

Days after the 10th anniversary of the Taliban shooting in Malala Yousafzai’s head, the Nobel Prize laureate arrived in her home country Pakistan on Tuesday, according to local media.

The Express Tribune reported that Malala and her parents reached Karachi through Qatar Airways’ flight 604 and were taken to her residence under tight security.
This is Yousafzai’s second visit to Pakistan since she survived a Taliban attack in 2012 in Afghanistan’s Swat.

Yousafzai, who has been actively working for girls’ education, is in Pakistan amid devastating floods that have left 1,700 killed and displaced nearly eight million people, according to the latest estimates.

Citing Malala Fund’s statement, Dawn reported that her visit aims “to help keep international attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid.”

Earlier, the Malala Fund issued an emergency relief grant to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support flood relief efforts and “protect the wellbeing of girls and young women in Pakistan”.

Yousafzai, an advocate for girls’ education, survived a Pakistani Taliban assassination attempt when she was just 15 years old when they shot her in the head.

Since then the Oxford graduate has become a global figure promoting education for girls.

On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for actively supporting girls’ right to education in Mingora, Swat Valley in northern Pakistan following which she left the country and shifted to Birmingham, UK.

Malala also underlined the importance of girls’ education, calling it a ‘social movement’ and vowed that she would continue to advocate it in her home country.

At the age of 17, Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to and struggle for promoting education for children. She shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights activist. (ANI)

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‘Flying As We Knew It Has Changed, Crew Wears PPE Suits’

By LokMarg

Gitanjali Dey, 28, a Qatar Airways cabin crew, says aviation industry has been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but work ethics and hope keep them flying

I am employed as a cabin crew with Qatar Airways and currently based in Doha even though my parents live in Kolkata. I have been a part of the aviation industry for nearly six years now and I can vouch that most airlines across the world are witnessing their toughest times ever.

I am proud to say that despite the prevailing panic amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Qatar Airways never stopped its operations completely; it would be safe to say that we showed exemplary courage and confidence and kept flying the travellers, many of whom desperately needed to reach home.

I say this because it is tough to be away from your family at such an uncertain time. But my parents have taught me to respect work ethics and rules in place, so I will go home only after it is totally safe for both me and my family. Till that happens, I try to be in touch via voice or video calls for the wellbeing of my parents concerns me.

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The flying operations as we knew them have changed completely. Instead of the stylish uniform, we are now covered from head to toe in personal protective (PPE) gear, with face shields, surgical masks and sanitised gloves.

It is mandatory for us to use hand sanitizers at regular intervals, whether or not we have come in contact with someone. We also take care to serve the customers food that is prepared keeping in mind all the latest health and hygiene standards in place.

Thankfully, most airlines are flying on half-capacity so we are able to give proper attention to every individual on board. We were doing that earlier too, but in view of the pandemic the crew has to be extra attentive. The planes are thoroughly sanitized and the temperature of each passenger is checked before they board the plane.

As a cabin crew I report for duty after a gap of 2-3 weeks; so on an average every month I go on international flights twice. Initially, I was a bit worried about having to operate in a potentially contagious atmosphere, but with time those anxieties have subsided. I actually feel happy to be able to contribute in easing the lives of those who still have to travel at such times.

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The pandemic has been particularly devastating for the aviation and hospitality industry the worldwide. With most international airports still not fully operational, a large number of aircraft grounded and thousands of job layoffs, we are headed for very uncertain times ahead.

But we have hope.

It will perhaps take a long time for the aviation industry to recover as more and more people are giving up on travelling unless it is an emergency. The world is re-calibrating itself to weather the pandemic and its after-effects. For now, I guess each individual will have to maintain self-discipline and practice social distancing, so we can win this war against the virus.