Mumbai: 27 young cancer patients were treated to a special flight from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). For every one of them, it was the first time they had flown in an aircraft.

The Star Air flight, chartered by Air Charter Service India (ACS), took the 27 children aged 8 to 14 years up into the airspace surrounding Mumbai International Airport. The flight was sponsored by the All India Mahila Empowerment Party, through the Cancer Patient Aid Association.

The excited young passengers, accompanied by their family members and guardians, were hosted by ACS at CSMIA’s Terminal 1 and provided a range of special services, including surprise gifts and refreshments before their first flight. On their return, the children were greeted with more gifts, including the ‘Plant Your Own Garden Set’ that encourages young children to interact more with nature and develop a green thumb.

“Ensuring a memorable travel experience for passengers has always been at the core of CSMIA Mumbai’s operations,” said a CSMIA spokesperson. “And when the passengers are special children, we simply had to go all out to ensure that they had a great time before and after their first flight. This program is in line with our Growth with Goodness philosophy and we are privileged to support this effort to bring cheer to these extraordinarily brave children.”