Five Air India Pilots Test Positive For COVID-19

NEW DELHI: Five pilots of a national carrier Air India tested positive for novel coronavirus on Sunday. All of them are based in Mumbai and are reportedly asymptomatic.

As per reports, the pilots had operated one of the cargo flights to China recently. The pilots were found infected during the routine pre-flight test that is carried out 72 hours before they are assigned for the flight duties.

All five affected pilots have been operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners from Delhi to Guangzhou to pickup medical supplies. The last time any of them operated a flight was on April 20.

Apart from five pilots, other two staff members including a technician and an engineer have also diagnosed positive for COVID-19.

Currently, the national airlines are engaged in ferrying back stranded Indians from various nations.

Earlier an Air India flight landed in Mumbai from London on Sunday carrying 239 Indians from the UK who were stranded there due to lockdown. Apart from this two more repatriation flights one each from Singapore and Manila ( Philippines) are expected to arrive in Mumbai later on Sunday.

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