DELHI- Captain Sandeep Gupta, the chief pilot responsible for Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) Airlines A350 fleet, tragically passed away after a short illness on Wednesday.
Captain Gupta, who was based in Delhi, India, and 55 years old, assumed his role as chief pilot for a wide-body Airbus A350 aircraft in July of the previous year, reported TOI.
Air India A350 Chief Pilot Died
An Air India official shared, “His sudden death has shocked us. He was running a fever and was hospitalized. What we heard is that it was a case of severe dengue.” According to the official, Captain Gupta leaves behind his wife, a daughter, and a son.
Just last week, Captain Gupta had returned from Toulouse after conducting a test flight of the A350. A colleague noted that he appeared healthier and happier during that time.
Captain Gupta also played a crucial role as a flight safety expert in various disciplinary inquiries conducted by Air India, where he consistently advocated for the cockpit crew’s significant role in ensuring aircraft safety.
Before becoming the chief pilot for the A350 fleet, Captain Gupta had held the position of chief pilot for the A320 fleet. He had previously been stationed at Air India’s central training establishment in Hyderabad.
Delivery Update
Insiders familiar with the matter revealed that Air India has received the Letter of Type Acceptance (LoTA) from the DGCA for the induction of two A350 aircraft, specifically the A350-900 and A350-1000. Both of these aircraft will be equipped with Rolls Royce engines.
An airline representative confirmed that they will introduce the two wide-body aircraft within the current year. Additionally, by the conclusion of March of the following year, Air India aims to have a total of six A350 aircraft in its fleet.
Air India, under the ownership of the Tata Group since January of the previous year, operates a fleet of 126 aircraft, including 52 wide-body Boeing 787 and 777 planes.
In a message addressed to the staff on July 21, Air India’s Chief, Campbell Wilson, disclosed that approximately one-third of their wide-body fleet will be equipped with modern seating and in-flight entertainment systems by March 2024.
A few days back, we got the update that Air India (AI) is set to introduce two Airbus A350 aircraft into its fleet this year. These two aircraft are getting prepared for delivery. Further, these two new A350s aircraft were spotted today at Toulouse by DN280 Planespotter.
The first one has the Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 554 and is registered as F-WZFZ, while the Indian reg will be VT-JRA. Subsequently, the second A350-941 has the MSN 558 and is registered as F-WZFN / VT-JRB.
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