Air India reduces number of Covid tests for Vande Bharat flight crew members

NEW DELHI: Air India crew members will no longer be required to undertake the Covid test thrice for each Vande Bharat Mission international flight. The crew was required to take the test once before departure from India where a negative result is mandatory to be allowed to operate the same and then twice on return to the country. They will now be required to undergo the test only once before departure and not on return.
“In view the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) for Covid-19 testing for VBM flights dated July 27 effective immediately, you are not required to undergo Covid-2 and 3 tests upon arrival in the country following your flight schedule/pattern,” AI has told its crew members.
A number of pilots expressed unhappiness at this move. “We need to be certified Covid-free when operating a flight. But when it is time for us to return home, then it does not matter if we have the virus and carry it to our loved ones,” said a senior pilot. The flying crew is extremely unhappy as this move comes close on heels of AI cutting their allowances — that comprise a majority of their pay — by 60%-80%.