Delhi-Moscow flight returns midway as pilot tests COVID19 positive

New Delhi: An Air India flight from Delhi to Moscow was forced to return midway when the ground team realised the pilot flying the aircraft was COVID-19 positive. The flight was allegedly one of the rescue flights that aviation ministry is running to bring back stranded Indians from outside the country.

The flight is being alleged to be that of a rescue mission since the civil aviation ministry has not yet started any international flight operations in the country, as per reports.

Also Read: COVID-19 case detected on IndiGo Chennai-Coimbatore flight

Domestic flights in the country resumed on May 25 after almost a gap of two months when all flights were grounded due to the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus in India.

Just a few days ago, the Supreme Court had allowed Air India to run several non-scheduled rescue flights with full capacity for 10 more days to bring back stranded Indians from abroad.

Also Read: Air India passenger tests positive for COVID-19; 40 in quarantine

On May 29, Air India also announced additional flights between June 4 and 6 to bring back stranded Indians from outside the country. The flights will evacuate Indians from the US, UK, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand, and Sweden.