Passengers panic over coronavirus scare onboard Air India flight

Air India flight AI 852 Pune to Delhi was delayed for over three hours when a passenger fell sick suddenly leading to Coronavirus scare onboard flight. The passenger, who was identified as a Chinese national, started vomiting a few minutes before the flight was about to take off, other passengers immediately started panicking and asked crew members to sanitise the entire plane. The Chinese national was disembarked and taken to Naidu hospital in Pune.

The Air India flight AI 852 was supposed to take off at 7:40 am today morning. The flight took off finally post 10 am for Delhi with the rest of the passengers after the plane was sanitised.

“The concerned passenger was hospitalised and other passengers were given assurance that all measures have been taken. The panicking passengers were asked to maintain a calm onboard flight. We understand that Coronavirus scare has been rattling people but we have the situation under control. The flight has already taken off to Delhi', added an Air India official.

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Vice President congratulates

Earlier today, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, congratulated the Air India team that evacuated around 600 Indians from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. 

"Many compliments to the 34-member Team Air INDIA for flying into coronavirus-hit Wuhan city & evacuating more than 600 Indians onboard two special flights," he tweeted.

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The two special flights carrying as many as 647 Indians and 7 Maldivians had reached New Delhi. Passengers' relatives were relieved and expressed their gratitude to Air India. The team led by Air India's Director of Operations Captain Amitabh Singh included 30 cabin crew, eight pilots, 10 commercial staff of Air India and one senior officer from AI CMD Secretariat.

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