AI diverts Kochi-Delhi flight to B'lore to save a life

In an official release issued on Friday, Air India said that the flight, which was supposed to fly non-stop to Delhi, took off from Kochi at 7.30 am with 145 passengers on board. After the flight was airborne, Prasad Parasnath, a passenger on board complained of giddiness and was provided medical assistance from doctors on board. A decision was then taken to divert to the nearest airport in view of the medical emergency.

The aircraft then landed in Bangalore airport with an ambulance ready on arrival. The passenger accompanied by his four family members was rushed to Columbia Asia Hospital and the flight resumed its journey to Delhi, taking off from Bangalore at 9.30 am.

After due medical treatment and being found fit, the passenger accompanied by his family members were flown to Delhi by the evening Air India flight IC 903 which left Bangalore at 4.30 pm.

This is the third instance in the past two months where Air India diverted a flight to save the life of a passenger. Earlier on November 26, Captain A K Singh, Commander of AI 126 Chicago-Delhi flight, diverted the flight to Toronto to save the life of 70-year-old N Rodrigues, who suffered a cardiac arrest. On November 6, an Air India flight AI 188 Toronto-Delhi with Captain J S Gill in command, was diverted to Stockholm airport to save the life of Karnail Singh Jaswal.