Air India’s Moscow-bound plane called back as team finds pilot is Covid-19 +ve

Officials said there was an error in the pre-flight test report, which was read as negative initially.

An Air India’s Delhi-Moscow Airbus A-320 Neo (VT-EXR) flight was forced to return midway after ground team realised that the pilot was coronavirus positive.

A passengers sips a drink in the food court. (AFP file photo)

Officials said there was an error in the pre-flight test report, which was read as negative initially. The pilot reportedly took ill during the flight and was called back.

“When the A320 plane, which did not have any passengers as it was heading to Moscow to bring back stranded Indians under Vande Bharat Mission, had reached Uzbekistan’s airspace, our team on ground realised that one of the pilots had tested Covid-19 positive,” a senior Air India official was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.

“The flight was immediately asked to return. It came back to Delhi at around 12.30 pm on Saturday,” the official added.

The crew has been quarantined. Another plane would be sent to Moscow to bring back the stranded Indians, according to the officials.