Air India flight to Vijayawada diverted to Jaipur after passenger falls ill

NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from Delhi to Vijayawada was diverted to Jaipur on Monday after an elderly passenger suddenly fell ill after takeoff, people familiar with the matter said.

The incident occurred onboard the Airbus A321 aircraft when a passenger lost consciousness during the the flight to Vijayawada. “The senior citizen passenger’s BP plummeted and he fell unconscious. His wife alerted the cabin crew about it,” one of the passengers on board the flight, AI 2571, said.

The passenger said that the cabin crew provided onboard oxygen support and sought medical assistance from passengers . “A doctor on board assisted the crew in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until the passenger was stabilised,” he said.

“A doctor on board volunteered to help, following which the cabin crew assisted in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and worked to stabilise the passenger while the aircraft was still airborne,” the passenger said.

An Air India spokesperson did not comment on the incident.

An official aware of the incident, however, said the flight was diverted to Jaipur after the pilot in command, in consultation with the doctor onboard and the airline’s ground coordination cell, took the call to land at Jaipur, the nearest suitable airport.

“Emergency clearance was sought from air traffic control to ensure a timely landing after which, the aircraft landed safely in Jaipur, where Air India’s ground staff had already coordinated with local authorities to arrange medical assistance. A medical team was positioned at the airport and the passenger was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment,” the official said.

The passenger, a Delhi resident, is currently stable and has been discharged, another official confirmed.

Air India’s first line-fit (made for Air India) Boeing 787-9 landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The aircraft was flown by four Air India pilots and completed a non-stop ferry flight of 16 hours and 58 minutes from Boeing’s Everett factory in Washington state to Delhi. The new aircraft, with registration VT AWA, consists of 296 seats across three cabin classes (business, premium economy, and economy). This new 787-9 is expected to enter international, long-haul commercial service in February, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the airline.