Emergency landing: Rescue team to bring Biman passengers stranded in India's Nagpur

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying an eight-member rescue team is leaving Dhaka for India's Nagpur this evening to bring back 124 passengers, who remain stranded at Nagpur Airport following emergency landing of a Dhaka-bound Biman flight.

Departing from Muscat, flight BG-022 had to land at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur around 10:40am (local time) as a pilot of the aircraft reportedly suffered a heart attack, Dr Abu Saleh Mustafa Kamal, managing director and CEO of Biman, told The Daily Star. 

The flight was scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 11:30am today, said the Biman MD.

In a press release, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said, the rescue team is scheduled to fly to Nagpur at 6:45pm today by a (Dubai-bound) scheduled flight of Biman and hopes to bring the passengers back on the BG-022 flight by tonight.

Biman in its press release said pilot Captain Nowshad Ataul Qayyum sudden fell sick while the aircraft was in mid-air over Raipur, India.

Following contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) for an emergency landing, the aircraft with the assistance of another pilot, landed at the nearest airport in Nagpur, sources in Biman and HSIA, said.

"All passengers on the flight are safe and they were provided meals and were taking rest at the airport lounge," Biman said in the press release.

The Biman MD told The Daily Star that all the passengers were provided with necessary assistance by the Indian Air authorities.

Captain Qayyum was admitted to the emergency department of Hope Hospital in Nagpur for medical treatment.

"Currently his physical condition is improving. The country manager of Biman's Delhi office has been sent to Nagpur to provide necessary assistance regarding passengers and crew of the flight on an emergency basis," Biman said.

In a WhatsApp message, Group Captain Touhid-ul Ahsan, executive director, HSIA, said following the pilot's heart attack, the aircraft safely landed at Nagpur Airport in India, thanks to the other pilot of the flight.