Air India pilot dies after suffering cardiac arrest at Delhi Airport

An Air India pilot died of cardiac arrest on November 16

A 37-year-old Air India pilot died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday, the Times of India has reported.

Captain Himanil Kumar was at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Thursday, November 16, when he collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest. He received cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but unfortunately, could not be saved.

Kumar had rejoined work after his Diwali break. He was not scheduled to operate a flight, but was instead at the airport for his training to transition to flying another type of aircraft.

“Captain Himanil Kumar underwent his medical on August 23, 2023, and was declared fit, with his medical validity until August 30, 2024,” a senior DGCA official was quoted as saying by Times of India.

“Further, there is no fatigue-related issue with regard to flying duties. The pilot was undergoing his Boeing 777 full-type transition ground technical course from October 3, 2023, converting from an Airbus A320 type aircraft.

“He was on leave from Diwali onwards and returned Thursday for his class, which had a planned B777 aircraft visit, hence was at T3. All his past medical assessments were fine, with no detected underlying medical conditions,” the official said.

Pilot fatigue has become a topic of concern in recent times. It was earlier reported that several Indian airlines, including Air India, Vistara and Indigo, are trying out new cabin crew and pilot rosters to address concerns about pilot health. "The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is working with all Indian airlines to create more pilot and cabin crew-friendly rostering schedules and reduce fatigue,” a senior official from the civil aviation ministry told Moneycontrol in September.