NEW DELHI: The Air India group isn’t exactly known for its punctuality, but Alliance Air on Saturday deliberately delayed a flight to transport harvested organs from Jaipur to Delhi, ultimately saving four lives. A 49-year-old woman, who had donated her organs, died in Jaipur. The lives of four critically ill patients in Delhi depended on the woman recovering lungs, a liver and a kidney in time.
Official of various agencies such as the Chief Minister’s Office of Rajasthan, State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO), airlines, Central Industrial Security Force and Jaipur airport were coordinating to ensure that the removed organs were on the first flight to Delhi, which turned out to be Alliance Air (9I 644), AI’s regional subsidiary, due to depart at 8.15 pm.
Boarding for this flight had been completed and passengers were waiting for the ATR to take off. Once informed, the management of Air India and Alliance Air decided to delay the departure of this flight. “When the passengers on board the plane learned the reason for the flight delay, they waited patiently for the organs and the doctor to arrive at the Jaipur airport. The organ harvesting surgery performed in a private hospital in Jaipur was complicated and involved the recovery of lungs, kidneys and liver and therefore took time. In about 30 minutes, a team of doctors, paramedics and the donor’s two lungs, a liver and a kidney were on board and then the plane took off at 9.28 pm, ”said an Alliance Air official.
Alliance Air CEO Harpreet A De Singh applauded her team’s efforts. “We are happy to be part of this life-saving flight. Alliance Air’s goal is to improve regional connectivity through safe and efficient operations while meeting corporate and corporate social responsibility goals. It is the constant effort of Alliance Air to serve the nation with full commitment and sincerity, ”said Singh.
.
