Tragedy struck at Nagpur airport as an IndiGo pilot collapsed at a boarding gate and subsequently passed away while being transported to a hospital. The pilot, who was an IndiGo captain, was on the verge of operating a flight from Nagpur to Pune (flight 6E135) when he suddenly lost consciousness at the boarding gate. He was quickly taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
On the previous day, he had operated two flights, traveling from Trivandrum to Nagpur via Pune, between 3 am and 7 am. Following this, he had a rest period of 27 hours and was scheduled to fly four sectors on the day of the incident.
Sources said the pilot had adhered to the rest guidelines mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) prior to his flight.
The pilot’s death was attributed to a “sudden cardiac arrest,” according to a statement from the KIMS-Kingsway Hospital, as cited by the news agency PTI.
IndiGo issued a statement expressing their sorrow over the loss, saying, “We are saddened at the passing of one of our pilots in Nagpur earlier today. He took unwell at Nagpur airport and was rushed to the hospital where he unfortunately passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”
Coincidentally, just the day before, a Qatar Airways pilot suffered a heart attack and passed away while on board a Delhi-Doha flight. The pilot was traveling in the passenger cabin as an additional crew member. Prior to his time with Qatar Airways, he had served with SpiceJet, Alliance Air, and Sahara.