A-I flight late, cornea in eye of a storm

New Delhi: A pair of cornea, caught in a fight between Air India officials and cargo personnel at the Delhi airport on Friday, survived damage after it fell from the plane onto the tarmac.
The cornea, flown in from Kochi for a transplant, was kept in an unbreakable bottle, wrapped in multiple layers of packing.
The flight, IC 166, was late by 20 minutes. But cargo personnel took another 30 minutes to pick up the consignment. Airlines officials said they had informed the department beforehand when the plane would land. Just before touchdown, the pilot of the plane also sent a communique to cargo officials and asked them to collect the cornea without delay.
Miffed at having to wait long, airlines officials reportedly abused the cargo crew. One word led to another and in the middle of the melee no one realised that the packet had fallen on the tarmac. There are also reports that it might have been flung by a cargo employee.
Air India’s Director (Northern Region) D S Kohli confirmed there was a verbal fight. He told Newsline: “The matter has been reported to me. Both sides have their own accounts of what happened. I have asked a senior official to investigate the incident. If it is established that some one was at fault, strict action will be taken against him. This was an important cargo and we are treating the matter seriously.”
The cornea finally reached the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the evening. It was thoroughly examined by staff at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Opthalmic Sciences and later declared fit for transplant.
06/10/07 Teena Thacker/Expressindia.com

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Categories: Air India - International Oct 2007, Airports Oct 2007, Cargo Oct 2007, NACL Oct 2007