Captain Sandeep Gupta, the chief pilot of Air India's A350 fleet, has passed away

MUMBAI: Air India chief pilot for A350 fleet, Capt Sandeep Gupta passed away following a brief illness on Wednesday.

The Delhi-based Capt Gupta (55) was appointed chief pilot of wide-body aircraft A350 in July last year. "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," said an Air India official. Capt Gupta is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son, the official added.

"Last week Capt Gupta had returned from Toulouse after conducting an A350 test flight. He looked leaner and happier," said another colleague. "He was the flight safety expert in one of the disciplinary inquiries Air India carried out. He spoke so much in support of the cockpit crew, their significant role in ensuring the safety of the aircraft," the official added.

The A350-900 is set to debut in India this year with Air India placing orders for 40 of these wide-bodied aircraft. The first A350-900 is scheduled to be delivered to Air India before the end of 2023.

Prior to being the chief pilot of A350 fleet, Capt Gupta was chief pilot of its A320 fleet.
The senior pilot was earlier also posted at Air India central training establishment in Hyderabad.



Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!