Reportedly, the two pilots of Jet Airways got into the brawl soon after the Boeing 777 – along with 324 passengers and 14 crew members – took off from London.
The Jet Airways on Tuesday terminated two senior pilots for allegedly getting into a mid-air fight and storming out of the cockpit of a London-Mumbai flight, leaving the controls unattended.
Though the flight landed safely in Mumbai, the airline terminated the services of the cockpit crew members – which included a man and a woman – following an investigation into the matter. Reportedly, during the incident, which occurred on January 1, the male pilot repeatedly slapped the woman pilot following a heated argument, while the flight was on its way from London to Mumbai.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Jet Airways said, “Consequent to the review of the events on board Flight 9W 119 London-Mumbai of 01 January 2018, Jet Airways has terminated services of both the cockpit crew with immediate effect.”
Reportedly, the two pilots of Jet Airways got into the brawl soon after the Boeing 777, along with 324 passengers and 14 crew members, took off from London at around 10 am (UK time). While the female pilot was seen leaving the cockpit in teary eyes after being allegedly slapped, the male pilot followed her and the flight controls were left unattended. According to the aviation safety rules, at least one pilot should remain at the controls while the flight is in air.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had ordered a probe in the matter soon after the incident came to light. According to the DGCA, the pilots had left the cockpit twice during the incident, leaving the cockpit unmanned and the plane in autopilot mode.
According to a source with knowledge of the incident, “The co-pilot slapped the lady commander and she left the cockpit in tears. She stood in the galley sobbing. The cabin crew tried to comfort her and send her back to the cockpit, but in vain. The co-pilot also kept buzzing [on the intercom to] the crew, asking them to send the second pilot back.”
“However, they had a fight for the second time following which she came out again. This time, the cabin crew was quite afraid of the fight happening in the cockpit. They requested her to go to the cockpit and fly the plane safely to its destination,” he added.
A spokesperson of the Jet Airways said, “At Jet Airways, safety of guests, crew and assets is of paramount importance and the airline has zero tolerance for any action of its employees that compromises safety.”
The Jet Airways was also on news on Tuesday for separate incident, in which the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested a flight attendant for allegedly making eight trips to Hong Kong with illegal cash, wrapped in foil. The air hostess of the reputed airlines was intercepted by DRI officials when she was on a flight to Hon Kong, with US dollars amounting to Rs 3.24 crore.