‘Mayday emergency’: IndiGo flight diverts to Muscat after pilot falls ill mid-air

IndiGo flight (Representative image)MUMBAI: An IndiGo flight from Doha to Bengaluru was diverted to Muscat on Thursday after one of its pilots was reportedly incapacitated mid-flight, prompting the aircraft to declare a Mayday emergency, said sources.The A320neo aircraft operating flight 6E 1302 took off from Doha at 3am, about an hour behind schedule, according to data from a flight-tracking website. Less than two hours later, the aircraft turned towards Muscat to carry out an approach and landing.Pilot incapacitation is treated as a serious in-flight emergency, as it means one of the pilots becomes unable to continue performing their duties. Aircraft such as those in the Airbus A320 family are operated by two pilots on the flight deck. If one becomes incapacitated, the other pilot can continue flying the aircraft.However, this would mean single-handedly managing all the duties normally shared between the two pilots on the flight deck, including flying and monitoring the aircraft, navigating, communicating with air traffic control, managing the aircraft’s systems and responding to abnormal or emergency situations.Since this can significantly increase the workload on the remaining pilot, pilot incapacitation is treated as an emergency. It can prompt the crew to divert to a suitable nearby airport, where the incapacitated pilot can receive medical attention and the flight can continue with a replacement crew.In a statement, IndiGo confirmed that the diversion was necessitated by an urgent requirement for medical attention for one operating crew member. The crew member was attended to by a medical team after landing and was reported to be feeling better, the airline added.The airline said an alternate aircraft and a new set of crew had been arranged to continue the journey to Bengaluru. Passengers waiting at Muscat were being provided refreshments and regular updates, it said.