Passenger on board Vancouver-Delhi Air India flight develops medical emergency, dies

NEW DELHI: An 83-year-old flyer on board an Air India flight from Vancouver to Delhi via Kolkata developed a medical emergency on board on Friday night. The Punjab native, Balbir Singh, died in a local hospital later. The incident happened on board AI186. The Boeing 777-337 flight with 176 passengers had taken off from Vancouver airport at 5.12 pm on November 20. As it was heading towards Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on November 21 night, the octogenarian, travelling with his sister, developed some health issues and became unconscious, said a source familiar with the matter. The cabin crew called out for help from any doctor on board and a medical professional came forward and performed CPR on him. They also briefed the Kolkata airport authorities about the emergency and doctors and an ambulance were on standby at the airport waiting for the flight to land. he said. Balbir Singh was wheeled out of the aircraft as soon as it landed at 9.55 pm, the source added. The airport doctors treated him first, he added. Airport Director Vikram Singh told TNIE , The flyer was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead. An Air India source said, Our staff were very responsive throughout. They did whatever possible on board. Other staff members accompanied the patient to the hospital too. The airline staff also facilitated the travel of the sister of the deceased today (Saturday) morning from Kolkata to Delhi. There was no major delay of the flight due to this incident. Ever since the airspace closure by Pakistan, the flight regularly has a 90-minute technical stop at Kolkata to change crew and for refuelling. The same happened on Friday night too and the flight departed as usual, the source added. The body of the flyer will be transported later.