New Delhi: An Air India pilot, 58, who retired from the airline about a month back has reportedly died of COVID-19. “The captain had retired in April-end and has not flown in AI after that,” an airline official was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
The senior captain was from the erstwhile Indian Airlines who operated the Airbus A320 and had also served as flight operation inspector in the DGCA, as per the TOI report.
His death has raised some serious concerns for the airline, which already has a significant number of pilots and cabin crew tested positive for coronavirus.
“We have 3-4 symptomatic; 30-40 asymptomatic and 150 quarantined pilots and cabin crew members. In all, about 200 of our crew members are either COVID positive or quarantined after passenger/s on the flight they operated tested positive,” an official further told the TOI.
Meanwhile, AI pilots are very agitated with authorities over the lack and delay of the salary payments while they keep risking their lives to bring stranded people home through Vande Bharat Mission.
“When we leave our homes to operate flights, many of us face troubles from our RWAs or neighbours. We risk our lives for performing a service for the nation by flying stranded Indians from foreign countries home,” a senior pilot informed TOI. With the lack of concern on the authorities part, the crew is distressed. “On top of that, the ministry and management is showing no concern for us. No one even knows when and if we will be paid,” the pilot further remarked.
