An Air India pilot was found to be infected with covid-19 on the Delhi-Moscow plane. The plane had to return midway.
The aviation regulator DGCA has ordered for a probe into a “lapse” after an empty flying from Delhi to Moscow returned midway when the pilot was found infected with coronavirus.
Air India state-run carrier’s ground team had realized that the pilot was a COVID-19 positive only after the Airbus A320NEO had taken off.
Sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA said “prima facie, this appears to be a lapse” as the pilot was not supposed to be on the plane if he was found positive.
Around 200 hundred tests are conducted by Air India in a day in Delhi alone for all its crew ahead of all flights that they operate. The results of these tests are centrally processed by the airline.
The Air India plane took off from Delhi after 7 am today and returned to the national capital at 12:30 pm, sources said.
The crew has been quarantined. Another plane will be sent to Moscow to bring back stranded Indians, officials said.
Air India this morning recalled its aircraft operating Delhi-Moscow without passengers immediately when it was noticed that one of the cockpit crew had tested positive in the pre-flight COVID-19 test,” the airline said in a statement.
“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 for Moscow to Delhi,” Air India said.
Pilots are tested for coronavirus before they are allowed to fly.
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