Qatar Airways Pilot Passes Away During Delhi-Doha Flight as Passenger

A Qatar Airways pilot died while on a flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to Hamad International Airport (DOH). He was not on duty at the time and was traveling as a passenger.

A Qatar Airways flight from Delhi to Doha was diverted to Dubai due to a medical emergency. The flight, QR 579, departed Delhi at 3:41 AM local time on August 16, 2023 and was scheduled to land in Doha at 6:15 AM. However, the flight was diverted to Dubai 30 minutes prior to landing when an off-duty pilot onboard fell ill. The pilot later died.

A 51-year-old pilot onboard the flight fell critically ill. Despite the swift response and medical assistance provided, he could not survive.

The flight remained on the ground in DXB airport for about an hour before continuing on to Doha.

The pilot, who was employed by Allegiance Air, had the distinction of being the captain of SpiceJet's inaugural flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad on May 23, 2005.

He spent 17 years with SpiceJet, before moving to work for Qatar Airways in 2022.

The death of the Qatar Airways pilot is the third incident in less than a week of a pilot dying while on a flight. On August 14, 2023, a pilot from LATAM died while on a flight from Miami to Santiago.

An IndiGo pilot died of a sudden medical emergency at the boarding gate of the flight to Nagpur on August 17, 2023.