According to reports, in a strange, unconventional incident, a Indigo passenger informed the cabin crew that he is COVID-19 positive just before take off, and the flight was immediately de-boarded.
This incident took place around 5:30 pm on Thursday in an IndiGo flight 6E286 to Pune, as the aircraft was getting ready for take-off, a male passenger was told by cabin crew that he was unloaded at Delhi Airport on Thursday evening.
To which, the Sources said that the passenger informed the cabin crew about his health condition that he had been tested positive for coronavirus, after which the aircraft returned to the bay and the person was unloaded.
Further, after he was unloaded, the aircraft was fumigated, sanitized and then the aircraft took off for Pune at around 7 pm. The pilot of the aircraft returned the taxi-bay flight from the runway and unloaded all passengers, including the COVID-19 positive passenger. After which the aircraft was tarnished and cleaned and seat covers were also replaced. The passengers were given PPE suits for the entire duration of the flight and were supplied with drinks and water during the delay.
After the man was de-boarded, he was taken to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi for treatment.
A senior Delhi Police official said that the airline has not received any complaints about the incident so far. Further details could not be immediately ascertained. There was no official statement from Indigo about the incident.
A previous recent Health Emergency case:
Two days before the incident, on 2 March, an IndiGo aircraft from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Lucknow was diverted to Karachi Airport after an elderly passenger fell ill due to a medical emergency.
The captain of the flight 6E1412 approached Karachi Air Traffic Control for permission for emergency landing on humanitarian grounds, which was granted. However, on reaching Karachi, the airport medical team declared the passenger dead. The passenger was identified as Habib-ur-Rehman aged 67 years.
