Hyderabad: Three British Airways pilots fell ill, one of them seriously, during a Hyderabad-London flight on July 22, in a suspected case of food poisoning, prompting the airline to launch an investigation and review its accommodation arrangements in the city.The incident occurred onboard BA276, the airline’s daily connection from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) to Heathrow.According to UK media reports, three pilots started to feel unwell soon after the flight took off from Hyderabad at 7.45 am. The reports claimed that one of them fell seriously sick, unable to continue normal duties, while the aircraft was cruising at around 30,000 feet and was left incapacitated during the flight. The pilot was administered oxygen onboard as symptoms worsened, the reports stated. Soon after landing in London, the pilot shifted to a hospital for treatment.The other two pilots were able to continue operating the aircraft safely, although they too experienced similar symptoms, which intensified post landing. Samples collected from them were sent to the lab to help determine the source of the illness, the local reports added.According to airline sources, the pilots, during their stay in Hyderabad, had breakfast together at a hotel lounge. They also consumed bottled water purchased from an outside vendor. The airline is now probing to ascertain if any of that caused the illness.“The welfare of our colleagues is a top priority and we are reviewing crew accommodation in this location following some isolated reports of sickness,” British Airways said in a statement.The airline maintained that passenger safety was never at risk.“During the flight one of our pilots became unwell. In line with established procedures, the aircraft continued safely to its destination and landed normally. The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised,” the airline stated.According to the Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA India), a commercial aircraft typically climbs above 30,000 feet within 20 to 25 minutes of take-off. “If any pilot required supplemental oxygen during a suspected food poisoning incident, it could indicate that the pilot had fainted or was experiencing breathing difficulties, making immediate medical intervention necessary,” said Anil Rao, general secretary, ALPA India.Meanwhile, officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s food safety wing said they had not received any complaint related to the incident. The RGIA police also confirmed that no complaint had been lodged with them regarding the matter.
