COCKPIT CRISIS

‘Incapacitated’ Pilot Put on Oxygen Mid-Flight After Health Emergency

The pilot required oxygen at 30,000 feet during a 10-and-a-half-hour flight.

Three British Airways pilots fell ill with suspected food poisoning after a stopover in India, leaving one “incapacitated” at 30,000 feet. One pilot was put on oxygen during the 10-and-a-half-hour flight from Hyderabad to London Heathrow, while the other two pilots continued operating the aircraft despite becoming unwell. Their symptoms reportedly worsened after the plane landed in the U.K. The crew had shared breakfast in their hotel lounge, and all drank bottled water supplied by an external company. Each pilot filed Air Safety Reports and provided samples for medical testing. According to reports, insiders at the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) said officials were frustrated because there had been “dozens” of previous complaints about hygiene at their hotel, which costs about $175 a night. British Airways said: “The welfare of our colleagues is a top priority and we are reviewing crew accommodation in this location following some isolated reports of sickness. In line with established procedures, the aircraft continued safely to its destination and landed normally.”