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| Delhi-Moscow AI flight returns midway after pilot found COVID-19 positive |
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New Delhi: An Air India flight from Delhi to Moscow with no passengers onboard was asked to return midway on Saturday after its ground staff realised that one of the pilots of the plane tested positive for coronavirus as he was assigned the duty following an oversight by a team checking pre-flight medical reports of the crew, officials told PTI. Two senior bureaucrats said there was a "lapse" on the part of officials responsible to scrutinise the coronavirus test reports of the crew members and that aviation regulator DGCA has already begun an investigation into the case based on a preliminary report by the airline.
The Airbus A320 plane departed around 7.15 AM for Moscow to bring back a group of stranded Indians under the Vande Bharat evacuation mission and it was back in Delhi by 12.30 PM following orders from the authorities, the officials said. They said the officials tasked to examine medical reports of the crew did not look at the pilot''s test results properly before assigning him the duty. According to standard operating procedure, pilots and other crew members of any flight are required to undergo mandatory testing for coronavirus and are assigned duties if the laboratory results are negative.
The plane with registration number VT-EXR was in the airspace of Uzbekistan when it was told to return. All crew members including the Delhi-based pilot with coronavirus infection have been quarantined after they arrived in Delhi, the officials said, "In this case, the airline officials did not look at the pilot''s test results properly and deemed him fit to fly, assuming that he is COVID-19 negative, even when the test results stated otherwise," said an official in the DGCA. In a statement, Air India said it recalled the aircraft immediately when it was noticed that one of the cockpit crew had tested positive in the pre-flight COVID-19 test. "On return, immediately after landing all cockpit and cabin crew have been tested and all laid down medical precautions are being taken to ensure their health and safety.
Another aircraft has taken off today to operate the Vande Bharat flight from Moscow to Delhi," the Air India said. The plane did not have any passengers as it was heading to Moscow to bring back stranded Indians under Vande Bharat Mission, officials said adding the plane has already been sanitised. The government launched the Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 to bring back stranded Indians from abroad. Over 45,000 Indians have been brought back home so far. The government plans to evacuate another 100,000 stranded Indians by June 13. Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express operated 64 flights bringing back Indians from 12 countries in the first phase of the mission from May 7 to May 16. The second phase of the mission began on May 16 itself.
Between May 16 and May 29, Air India group has operated a total 168 international flights. Before the launch Vande Bharat Mission, the Air India issued a "protocol" that was required to be followed by crew members for pre-flight testing as well as post-flight testing for COVID-19. The protocol mandates crew of any flight to go for COVID-19 testing too after returning to India from overseas destinations.
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