An elderly passenger endured a harrowing mid-air medical emergency on Air India Flight AI-1814 from Bhubaneswar to Delhi on 6 December 2025, collapsing midway through the journey and appearing to stop breathing while seated with his wife.
Fellow travellers, including a doctor with CPR expertise, and the cabin crew sprang into action with oxygen, chest compressions, and an automated external defibrillator (AED), stabilising him until the pilot diverted to Ranchi for emergency medical aid; the man regained consciousness, conversed about his family, and later continued to Delhi.
Hyderabad-based professional Anand Bajpai documented the ordeal in a viral LinkedIn post, hailing the “heroes without capes” for their coordinated response; while Air India has not issued a formal statement, the incident underscores robust crew training amid no reported further developments.
Swift Response Averts Crisis
The drama unfolded approximately 90 minutes into the two-hour flight, as Bajpai recounted in his detailed LinkedIn narrative that has since garnered thousands of views and shares across social media.
The elderly gentleman, travelling in business class alongside his deeply distressed wife, suddenly slumped in his seat, his face paling as he lost consciousness and seemed to cease breathing entirely.
“He was not breathing… his wife was devastated,” Bajpai wrote vividly, capturing the immediate panic that rippled through the cabin as nearby passengers issued urgent calls for medical assistance.
A first responder and an onboard doctor quickly assessed the situation, carefully relocating the passenger to the rear of the aircraft to create space for intervention.
Cabin crew members, trained in emergency protocols, swiftly retrieved oxygen masks and the AED, administering chest compressions while engaging the man in gentle conversation about his loved ones to keep him responsive.
“What started as whispers, uncle’s replies became bolder… he was back,” Bajpai noted with relief, describing how the collective efforts maintained the passenger’s alertness until the wheels touched down in Ranchi. There, ground medical teams took over, confirming his stabilisation before he boarded a subsequent flight to complete his journey to the capital.
Rising Air Travel Challenges
Medical emergencies aboard flights have become increasingly common in India, particularly as air travel surges post-pandemic, with statistics from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) indicating hundreds of such incidents annually across domestic carriers.
Airlines like Air India are mandated to equip every aircraft with comprehensive life-support kits, including AEDs, oxygen supplies, and basic pharmaceuticals, alongside rigorous crew training programmes that simulate real-time crises.
This Bhubaneswar-Delhi episode echoes recent parallels, such as a cardiac arrest on an IndiGo flight last month where passenger doctors similarly intervened, or a pilot’s medical issue on another Air India service earlier in 2025 that delayed takeoff but was resolved pre-flight.
Bajpai’s post not only humanises the event portraying the passenger’s wife clutching his hand throughout and the quiet heroism of unnamed helpers but also sparks broader discourse on preparedness. Social media reactions praise the response while calling for enhanced passenger awareness campaigns, noting that basic first-aid knowledge could prove lifesaving in confined airborne environments.
No official updates from Air India have surfaced since media coverage peaked on 16 December, but the absence of complications reinforces the efficacy of standard protocols.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
In an era where flights pack strangers into tight quarters, this incident shines a light on the extraordinary power of innate human empathy and collaborative spirit, transforming potential tragedy into a testament of shared resilience.
The Logical Indian stands firmly with those who embody kindness under pressure, advocating for mandatory first-aid workshops in schools, workplaces, and communities to equip everyday citizens as potential lifelines. By fostering such harmony and coexistence, we pave the way for safer, more compassionate skies that reflect our collective commitment to positive social change.
