Air India’s long-range A350 plane fleet chief pilot Captain Sandeep Gupta, 53, died of dengue in New Delhi on Wednesday night, two airline officers stated.

“Captain Gupta, who was battling dengue, was rushed to a hospital on Wednesday afternoon…where he passed away,” stated one of many officers who didn’t need to be named.

Gupta was appointed Air India’s A350 plane fleet chief pilot final yr as a part of the airline’s efforts to strengthen its fleet and enhance operations. The transfer coincided with Air India’s talks with Airbus for the induction of A350 planes following the Tata Group’s takeover of the loss-making airline final yr.

Gupta joined Air India in 1988 and was earlier the chief pilot of its Airbus A320 fleet till 2022 and in command of Air India’s Central Training Establishment in Hyderabad. Gupta is survived by his widow and two kids. A colleague remembered Gupta as a jovial particular person, who will all the time be missed.