An Indian airliner made an emergency landing to save the life of a 10 day old Pakistani baby with a heart ailment whose condition deteriorated on board, an airline official said on Friday.
The Airbus A320 of state-run Indian Airlines was on a flight late on Wednesday from New Delhi in the north to the technology hub of Bangalore in the south.
When the crew learned that Pakistani baby Muhammad Khan, en route to Bangalore for surgery with his mother and uncle, had started to turn blue, the pilot diverted to Hyderabad. That was a 10 minute flight while Bangalore was still 50 minutes away.
"We care for our passengers and we run the airline with a human face. The pilot did a wonderful job," Indian Airlines Public Relations Director Anoop Srivastava said.
The child was rushed to hospital as soon as the plane touched down. Newspapers quoted the doctor who treated the child as saying his condition was stable and he had been discharged.
Ties between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan have improved in the past 18 months as part of a cautious peace process, two years after the neighbors stood on the brink of their third war over Kashmir.
In steps to improve people-to-people contact, New Delhi eased visa restrictions in 2003 for Pakistani children seeking treatment in India and said it would finance the travel, treatment and accommodation of 20 Pakistani children.
In the past year, several sick Pakistani children and adults have traveled to India, especially to Bangalore, known for its high-quality and affordable private medical care.
