A miscommunication between an airborne pilot and Calcutta airport’s air traffic control (ATC) resulted in the airport authorities rushing medical help to the tarmac for a non-existent “critical patient” on board a flight from Mumbai on Friday morning.

The pilot of an air ambulance requested the ATC for landing permission for “medical evacuation” of a critical patient on ventilator. The ATC personnel thought the patient was on board and pressed the alarm button.

The six-seater air ambulance of Deccan Aviation was given priority landing over three other flights and six aircraft were kept waiting for take-off.

A medical team of the Airports Authority of India rushed to the parking bay on an ambulance to “receive the patient” but found only doctors and paramedical staff on board.

The air ambulance arrived at 10am to airlift an accident victim back to Mumbai. It was fourth in the queue for landing, airport sources said.

“Thinking that the pilot was communicating a medical emergency, the ATC cleared the aircraft for priority landing,” an airport official said.

An ambulance with a doctor and nurses rushed to the parking bay along with a special jeep that guides an ambulance out of the parking bay when it is carrying a patient.

“We were expecting a critical patient on ventilator who should be shifted to hospital. But to our surprise, only doctors and nurses were found on board,” a medical officer at the airport said. “It was a unique situation,” he added.

As the confusion continued, the departure of six aircraft, including a US Air Force aircraft, Air India’s Guwahati flight and the Calcutta-Dhaka flight of Biman Bangladesh, were put on hold.

They were finally cleared for take-off at 10.20am, airport officials said.

The patient, Manoj Gupta, 35, was brought from a private hospital to the airport. The flight took off for Mumbai with doctors, nurses and two of Gupta’s family members at 3.10pm.

ATC officials said the pilot should have properly explained to them that he was coming to take a patient and not arriving with one on board. “It was a small miscommunication which was sorted out,” said an official.