AI special flight to Moscow called back as pilot tests positive

NEW DELHI : A special Air India flight that took off from Delhi airport on Saturday morning to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Moscow, under the government’s Vande Bharat initiative, was called back midway when the airline found out that one of the pilots on-board had tested positive for the coronavirus disease, the airlines said in a statement.

Air India did not clarify who was responsible for the lapse that allowed the pilot to board the aircraft with 16 other crew members. An internal inquiry is underway, the airline said. All the 16 crew members were quarantined after they flew back, the airline said.

Under the government’s Vande Bharat mission, the national airline is flying back Indian citizens stranded abroad because of the suspension of international flights and lockdowns for the Covid-19 crisis. The first phase of Vande Bharat Mission, completed during May 7-16, resulted in the repatriation of 16,716 stranded Indians on 64 flights from a dozen countries. The second phase represents a massive scaling up of the programme, with 429 flights by Air India (311 international flights and 118 feeder flights) from 60 countries.

According to the officials at Delhi airport, Saturday’s special flight left Indira Gandhi International Airport at 6.40 am for Moscow to bring back 135 Indians. At around 9.30 am, the pilots were told to return to base.

“At the time when pilots were asked to return to Delhi airport they were already flying over Kazakhstan. They had completed around three hours of flight. It took them another three hours to return and the flight landed in Delhi by 12.30 pm,” said an official who requested anonymity.