Sunday, June 12 2005 13:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Sushma Chawla, deputy managing director, Indian Airlines, today (Jun 12, 2005) took charge as the acting chairman and managing director of the company, becoming the first woman ever to hold the top position.

Chawla took over from Sunil Arora who had headed Indian Airlines for five years, an Indian Airlines release said.

Chawla joined the state-owned domestic carrier in 1971 as an executive and moved up to be the first woman director of the company in 1996.

She also headed the northern region as the airline's regional director and then as director finance before being promoted as deputy managing director in September 2004.