Govt to review medical emergency protocols after pilot’s death in Delhi airport

New Delhi: The government will re-examine standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling medical emergencies at airports, officials said on Wednesday, following a pilot’s sudden death due to cardiac arrest shortly after landing in Delhi last week.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) will also evaluate existing health regulations for pilots and review airline-specific emergency protocols.

“There is a need to look at the protocols that are being followed at the airport while dealing with medical emergencies. We will be reviewing the SOPs followed during such medical situations,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

Another official said that the tragic incident has prompted a deeper look into health checks and operational stress, particularly pilots’ turnaround times and how such situations are managed in high-pressure aviation environment.

On April 9, a 36-year-old Air India Express first officer collapsed a few minutes after landing and died, with initial reports suggesting that the situation was poorly handled. A group of pilots had also alleged that the co-pilot was fatigued.

A civil aviation ministry official said, “According to the incident report, the ambulance, contrary to the claim being made, reached the pilot well on time. The pilot had only operated Delhi- Srinagar- Delhi sector on that day and his total duty hours in the last seven days was 11 hours 40 minutes.”

“He was rushed to a nearest hospital by the airport medical team. and was conscious. He was communicating until he reached the hospital and collapsed. He then could not be revived,” he added.

The official also said that the pilot only operated as co-pilot when on duty. “The pilot, as per norms, was last assessed by the medical team of IAF (Indian Air Force) in January this year and was declared fit to fly. However, as per rules, his flying license did not allow him to operate without an experienced pilot,” a DGCA official said.

Mark D Martin, former pilot and founder of Martin Consulting, however, said that a detailed independent investigation should be initiated. “In light of the critical nature of the situation, there is a need to investigate the matter thoroughly as this will shed light on operational realities such as pilot fatigue, the adverse impact of high-altitude operations, post-surgery crew flight response and behaviour, and the effectiveness and efficacy of Air Force medical exams for line pilots.”

“In the interest of morale, safety, and governance, there must be no finger-pointing between the airline, the regulator, and the pilot unions. Moreover, the root cause of this incident, based on the investigation findings, should be incorporated into case studies and training,” he said.

“SOPs should be developed to ensure transparency and clarity surrounding such an unfortunate and critical flight-phase crew death,” Martin concluded.