AI pilot dies of suspected cardiac arrest at airport during training session

NEW DELHI: Himmanil Kumar, a senior Air India pilot, died on Thursday morning at Delhi airport after showing signs of discomfort during a training session. According to officials, the pilot, who was in his 30s, appeared to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

An SI spokesperson said that Captain Kumar was a Senior Commander, who visited their Operations office at T3 Delhi Airport as part of a routine procedure. “He suddenly showed signs of discomfort at the office, and was immediately assisted by his colleagues.

He was then rushed to the hospital in the airport premises, where in spite of all the efforts made by the attending doctors, he passed away,” a spokesperson said. “Capt. Kumar was not on active flying duty, and was undergoing a conversion training to operate wide-body aircraft. The Air India team stands together in grief with Capt Kumar’s family,” he added.

This is the third instance in recent times when a pilot has lost his life while being on duty or flying as a passenger. An IndiGo pilot in August this year collapsed at Nagpur Airport boarding gate as he was about to board an aircraft to fly it to Pune. More recently, an ex-SpiceJet captain, currently working for Qatar Airways, passed away while flying as a passenger from Delhi to Doha.

A DGCA official said Kumar underwent his medical checkup on August 23 and was declared fit to fly. “Captain Himanil Kumar underwent his medical on August 23, 2023, and was declared fit, with medical validity until August 30, 2024. Further, there is no fatigue-related issue with regard to flying duties. He was on leave from Diwali onwards and resumed Thursday for his class, which had a planned B777 aircraft visit, hence was at T3.

All his past medical assessments were fine with no detected underlying medical conditions,” the official said. A senior pilot at Air India said that most pilots in India, irrespective of the airline, have stress and fatigue related issues as roasters planned by their companies deprive them of adequate rest. “This is high time that the regulators and airline start treating us like humans and not some robots,” the senior pilot said.