Spicejet pilot tests positive for coronavirus

New Delhi, Mar 29: A Spice jet pilot tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first at the carrier to be diagnosed with the disease that killed 30,000 people, two-thirds of them in Europe.

The airlines said that the pilot had not flown any international flights in March and had quarantined himself at home after operating Delhi-Chennai on March 21.

"One of our colleagues, a first officer with SpiceJet, has tested positive for COVID-19. The test report came on March 28. He did not operate any international flight in March 2020," the airline's spokesperson told PTI.

"The last domestic flight that he operated was on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and since then he had quarantined himself at home," he added.

As a precautionary measure, the spokesperson said, all crew and staff who had been in direct contact with him have been asked to self-quarantine by staying at home for the next 14 days.

Recently, in its bid to help the government to fight the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, SpiceJet had flew a special flight from Delhi to Coimbatore with nothing but just a hazmat suit on it. After successfully delivering the suit, the airlines issued a statement saying it is willing to do as much as it can to help the citizens amid the 21-day lockdown.

Airlines are reeling from the pandemic, which has spurred mass cancellations by worried passengers.