Five Air India pilots test positive for coronavirus

Cases emerge as national carrier takes part in repatriation of Indians stranded across the globe

Air India planes are parked on the tarmac at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. AP Photo

Five pilots of the national carrier Air India have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to sources at the airline.

The infections were detected after 77 of the airline's crew were tested for the virus on Saturday. The infected pilots were all asymptomatic and were told to quarantine themselves at home, the sources told India's NDTV news channel. All of them are reportedly from Mumbai.

An engineer and a technician were also found to be infected, NDTV said.

Air India has not yet commented on the reported infections.

The cases have surfaced as the airline takes part in a global effort launched by the government this week to bring home citizens stranded abroad by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Airline sources told the Times of India that the infected pilots had operated cargo flights to the Chinese city of Guangzhou in southern Guangdong province recently. According to NDTV, the last time any of them operated a flight was on April 20.

Indian government guidelines for crew operating repatriation flights require a swab test for Covid-19 before and after each flight. They have to wear full protection equipment during the flights, including hazmat suits, face masks, gloves and goggles. Even if the swab tests come back negative, the crew have to pass another test five days later before being allowed to fly again.

The repatriation programme is expected to bring home hundreds of thousands of Indians who were unable to return after the government banned all incoming international flights at the start of a nationwide lockdown in March.

Repatriations were also being carried out by ship, with an Indian Navy vessel docking at the southern port of Kochi on Sunday with nearly 700 evacuees from the Maldives.

Another warship was expected to arrive in the Maldives on Sunday to pick up more stranded Indians. Roughly 4,000 of the 27,000 Indians living in the Maldives have registered to be taken home.