ER SRBIJA / AIR SERBIA
T he Serbian national airline chronicled an important juncture in April – when the entire crew of an ATR plane comprised women for the first time in the company’s nearly-century-long history. Four of Air Serbia’s ladies took care of and transported passengers on flights between Belgrade and Krakow. The position of aircraft leader was occupied by captain Vanja Marčeta, with Tijana Kankaraš in the position of first officer and the cabin crew comprising flight attendants Bojana Podovac and Nina Jakovljević. We interviewed captain Marčeta after her historic flight to Krakow and began by asking how she felt about it... “It was an exceptional honour and a sincere pleasure for me to be part of the ATR fleet’s first all-female crew. For us, that flight was much more than just another day at work. We felt pride, excitement, but also total responsibility to justify the trust placed in us.”
How many passengers were aboard those flights and how did they react? “There were 53 passengers aboard the flight to Krakow and 58 on the return flight. As always, the passengers were amiable, though many of them didn’t know the crew was entirely female. They didn’t have a chance to see us all together, given that we were each focused on our duties and responsibilities throughout all stages of the flight.” How was the cooperation between you and Tijana, and between Bojana and Nina in the cabin? “I’ve known Tijana for years and collaborate with her wonderfully, but we hadn’t previously had an opportunity to fly together, so we were both very happy about it. The cooperation in the cockpit was first and foremost professional and didn’t differ from my previous flights with other colleagues in any way. However, an exceptional measure of joy existed that day because it just so happened that one of our national airline’s ATR 72- 600 planes was being operated by an all-female crew for the first time ever. In the cabin, Bojana and Nina were as impeccably coordinated and dedicated as ever, and passengers were in safe, graceful hands.” Could you mention something interesting from those flights? “It is interesting that we were followed every step of the way by women. We were awaited in Krakow by a female supervisor, who also helped us take nice photos in front of the plane. Upon our return, we were awaited by Milica, our female mechanic colleague.” How did all of you feel after operating those flights successfully? “Everything was in tip-top order, as it is every day. But what was different was the feeling upon completion – a deep sense of gratitude and excitement over having been part of an unforgettable moment. We knew we had left a mark – not only on the aircraft, but in the history of our ATR fleet.”
ALL-FEMALE CREW FOR ATR FLIGHTS WE’VE MADE OUR MARK IN THE HISTORY OF OUR FLEET When you have a team of dedicated women who know their jobs, every preparation becomes a synchronised dance of precision and responsibility, says captain Vanja Marčeta, who headed an all-female crew on an ATR flight for the first time in history
How did the flight end up being crewed exclusively by members of the fairer sex? “The flight was planned as standard in the schedule, but when I saw the names of my female colleagues – Tijana in the cockpit and Bojana and Nina in the cabin – I felt joy. There hadn’t been any special agreement, everything was a spontaneous coincidence, but it is precisely in that “coincidence” that power also resides – because that moment became historic.”
Na mestu vođe vazduhoplova bila je kapetanica Vanja Marčeta, kopilotkinja je bila Tijana Kankaraš, dok su kabinsku posadu činile perserka Bojana Podovac i stjuardesa Nina Jakovljević The position of aircraft leader was occupied by captain Vanja Marčeta, with Tijana Kankaraš in the position of first officer and the cabin crew comprising cabin senior Bojana Podovac and flight attendant Nina Jakovljević
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