THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The evacuation of Indian expatriates from West Asia, being carried out by Air India Express, is likely to run into rough weather after the airline's nine crew members --- including two pilots --- tested positive for COVID-19.
While two contracted the virus on Friday, seven more were added to the patients' list on Saturday. All the nine infected were with the evacuation flights bound for Kozhikode and Kannur.
The crew members were among the 58 fresh cases reported in the state on Saturday. While 48 were returnees (31 from abroad and 17 from other states), three contracted virus through contact.Thrissur reported the most cases (10) while the other patients were from Palakkad (9), Kannur (8), Kollam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Kozhikode (four each), Kasaragod (3),Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha (two each) and Kottayam (one).
Crew members’ infection last thing state wanted
With cases spiking in the Gulf, the crew members’ infection was the last thing the state wanted. "The crew members were admitted to the COVID care centre at Ancharakkandi in Kannur. They have been boarding flights after undergoing mandatory medical tests at regular intervals. The spike in cases in Kerala, however, has affected us. We had to increase the frequency of the tests and there is delay in getting the results. That has affected the smooth functioning of the airline," said a source in Air India Express.
The Health Department, meanwhile, said it needs to assess whether the infection was because of the ongoing evacuation mission or due to the resumption of domestic flights. The department also wants to find out whether the crew members failed to take enough precautions.
"Adequate training was provided to the crew members on the use of personal protective equipment and precautions to be taken while engaging with passengers. It might be a case of a breach in self-protection like not wearing the PPE properly or not following the advisory. Considering the seriousness, an inquiry will be launched," said a member of the state rapid response cell for COVID-19.
The health authorities and airline company have already started the exercise of tracing the people including other airline staff involved in the primary contact list of the affected crew. If there are more crew members in their contact list, flight operations would be further affected. In the third phase of evacuation, the airline has received permission to operate 38 services from West Asia.
Air India Express is the main airline involved in the Gulf evacuation while Air India is operating long-haul flights from Europe and USA. The airline quarantines a team of crew after every flight for five days and the same team is pressed into service only after medical test.
If around 60 pilots and 120 cabin crews were in the frontline to lead the Gulf and Far East evacuation by the airline in the first phase, now most of the bench strength comprising 345 pilots and 630 cabin crew are engaged in the operation.
Infected pilot cleared to fly, plane called back
NEW DELHI: An Air India flight en-route to Moscow from Delhi to bring back Indians stranded in the Russian capital was forced to return midway on Saturday after it emerged that a pilot on board was COVID-19 positive.