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Pilot on pandemic repatriation flight had COVID, had to turn back

Pilot with COVID in flight

A pandemic repatriation flight that was set to bring 143 Indian citizens home from Russia had to turn around because the pilot was diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus himself.

Aviation website aeroinside.com reports that on May 30 the Air India flight turned back over Uzbekistan while en route from Delhi to Moscow.

The aircraft was positioning to Moscow to repatriate Indian citizens stuck in Russia due to pandemic travel restrictions.

The crew underwent COVID-19 tests prior to departing, but Air India confirmed the aircraft returned to Delhi after it was discovered one of the pilots had tested positive.

The entire crew was isolated, and a replacement aircraft flown by another crew was dispatched to Moscow.

Officials reported the test results were initially and erroneously read as negative.



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