NEW DELHI: An Air India Express pilot suffered cardiac arrest at Delhi Airport on Wednesday shortly after safely operating a flight from Srinagar and passed away. First officer Armaan, who was about 36 years of age and had recently got married, had operated Delhi-Srinagar-Delhi on Wednesday. After landing in Delhi, he went to the aircraft lav where he vomited. He collapsed in the forward galley and was taken to the airport medical centre by cabin crew and ground staff. He was then taken to a private hospital in Vasant Kunj but could not be saved.
“We deeply regret the loss of a valued colleague due to a medical condition. Our thoughts are with the family during this time of profound grief. We are extending all possible assistance to them as we all cope with this tremendous loss. We request all concerned to respect privacy at this time and avoid unnecessary speculation while we commit to assisting the relevant authorities in due process,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
Armaan, who went by his first name only, had joined AI Express in 2023 from SpiceJet. He had flown for less than 12 hours in the last seven days, it is learnt.
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) said in a statement there’s an urgent need to put in place transparent regulations that prioritise rest for pilots, safety and humane scheduling practices. The association, which represents over 800 pilots of various Indian carriers, has stressed the need for having comprehensive mental health support systems within airline organisations and not merely as checkboxes but as active, accessible, and stigma-free services. ALPA says the untimely death of Captain Armaan’s death raises troubling questions about pilot welfare, mental health, and working conditions in the Indian aviation industry.
While not linking Armaan’s tragic death to fatigue, several pilots say they have for a long time been pleading for less strenuous working conditions in India. After a significant delay, slightly less strenuous flight duty time limitations (FDTL) rules — that govern key issues like how much a pilot can fly with what rest periods and limits on night flying — are set to be enforced from this summer.
“Many pilots have lost their lives suddenly in last few years, especially post Covid, and we have been fighting for a more humane FDTL. We just hope nothing else delays implementation of the new rules, something which we have seen in the past. Well rested and not stressed pilots are key to safe flights,” said many senior pilots.
“We deeply regret the loss of a valued colleague due to a medical condition. Our thoughts are with the family during this time of profound grief. We are extending all possible assistance to them as we all cope with this tremendous loss. We request all concerned to respect privacy at this time and avoid unnecessary speculation while we commit to assisting the relevant authorities in due process,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
Armaan, who went by his first name only, had joined AI Express in 2023 from SpiceJet. He had flown for less than 12 hours in the last seven days, it is learnt.
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) said in a statement there’s an urgent need to put in place transparent regulations that prioritise rest for pilots, safety and humane scheduling practices. The association, which represents over 800 pilots of various Indian carriers, has stressed the need for having comprehensive mental health support systems within airline organisations and not merely as checkboxes but as active, accessible, and stigma-free services. ALPA says the untimely death of Captain Armaan’s death raises troubling questions about pilot welfare, mental health, and working conditions in the Indian aviation industry.
While not linking Armaan’s tragic death to fatigue, several pilots say they have for a long time been pleading for less strenuous working conditions in India. After a significant delay, slightly less strenuous flight duty time limitations (FDTL) rules — that govern key issues like how much a pilot can fly with what rest periods and limits on night flying — are set to be enforced from this summer.
“Many pilots have lost their lives suddenly in last few years, especially post Covid, and we have been fighting for a more humane FDTL. We just hope nothing else delays implementation of the new rules, something which we have seen in the past. Well rested and not stressed pilots are key to safe flights,” said many senior pilots.
You may also like
IPL 2025: Umpires started checking the size of the bat, why did BCCI implement this rule in IPL? Know here..
6 Paraded & Arrested Jain Monks Were Thrashed At Balaji Temple In MP's Singoli
Donald Trump's campus crackdown hits Harvard university - and it's just the beginning
LSG vs CSK: Chennai's second win in this IPL, Dhoni-Dubey's partnership after Noor's bowling; Shardul conceded 56 runs..
Trump administration freezes USD 2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University
