Air India pilots threaten to cease flight operations; search readability on COVID protocol

In a letter to Air India Government Director (Operations) R S Sandhu, ICPA has additionally sought readability on the protocol to be adopted by a pilot when a optimistic case of COVID-19 is discovered on home flights or Vande Bharat Mission, working to carry stranded Indians residence in mild of pandemic.

The affiliation alleges that “the SOP for motion of Indian Nationals stranded exterior the nation requires RT-PCR take a look at for passengers. It has been dropped at our discover this isn’t being adopted.”

Referring to the newest incident whereby a pilot on the Delhi-Moscow flight needed to be referred to as again shortly after take-off because it was learnt that he was COVID-19 optimistic, the ICPA mentioned what the crew underwent after that was “traumatic”. The remainder of the crew have been made to attend the complete day with none meals or refreshments.

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“The well being officers on the Delhi airport didn’t adjust to the federal government orders and the protocol to be adopted for each the pre- and post-flight COVID-19 testing for crew working Vande Bharat Mission flights was thrown out of the window.

Therefore, the crew have been shuffled to a number of locations aimlessly. The crew have been harassed by the well being officers on the airport,” the ICPA acknowledged within the letter.

On Might 30, an Air India flight that was on its solution to Moscow to carry again Indian nationals from there was pressured to return again mid-away after the airline officers on the bottom realised that the pilot of the flight was “mistakenly” given a “damaging” report for the virus whereas he was really examined “optimistic”.

The letter directed to the manager director alleged that the pilots have been being “pressured” to be taken to a authorities medical facility for a interval of seven days and that it was solely after the institutional quarantine amenities refused to simply accept the crew, they have been allowed to go residence to observe home-isolation for 14 days.

“To not point out, the put up flight COVID-19 testing was violated. On return, the COVID-19 testing was not carried out they usually have been additionally not accommodated in a resort as per the protocol,” the ICPA mentioned.

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“This may be construed as lack of coordination between Air India, Ministry of Residence Affairs, aviation regulator DGCA and well being officers on the airport,” it mentioned.

In keeping with the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare and DGCA’s March 23 circulars, “If a laboratory optimistic case of COVID-19 is present in a flight, the complete crew must be de-rostered for at least 14 days. The crew must observe home-isolation through the time in their very own nation,” the ICPA mentioned.

Although as per the MHA order of Might 5, the usual working process for motion of Indian nationals stranded exterior the nation requires RT-PCR take a look at for passengers, “It has been dropped at our discover this isn’t being adopted,” the ICPA alleged.

“We’re working flights beneath Vande Bharat Mission as “Nationwide Responsibility” and the therapy meted out to the working crew is distasteful. We don’t respect the therapy perpetrated to our crew and if historical past repeats itself, we is not going to be ready to function any flights apart from the important companies,” the ICPA warned within the letter.

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