New Delhi, Mar 7 (IANS); National passenger carrier Air India will operate 12 all-women crew flights on its medium and long-haul international routes and over 40 return domestic and short-haul flights all over India to mark the International Women's Day on Friday.

According to the airline, the women cockpit and cabin crew of Air India will be operating both wide and narrow body aircraft.

"Seldom has a single airline scheduled so many flights operated by its women employees, setting a benchmark to reiterate the equal role and opportunity women rightly deserve in any organisation," the airline said in a statement.

Air India will be deploying its B787 Dreamliners and B777s to operate to 12 international medium and long-haul flights operated by women pilots and attended by women cabin crew on the day.

"Women pilots and cabin crew will be operating Airbus family aircraft as well as Dreamliners to over 40 domestic destinations and back to commemorate the occasion," the statement said.

"For most of these flights, the technical services will be provided by woman aircraft engineers, technicians and flight dispatchers; while woman duty managers, counter staff, helpers and doctors will do the honours for most of these flights."

Air India's foray into all-woman crew flights dates back to November 1985 when an all-woman cockpit crew operated a Fokker Friendship flight from Kolkata to Silchar.