Two pilots of an Indian airlines have been grounded for having a mid-air brawl on a flight from London to Mumbai. The pilots of Jet Airways had briefly stormed out of the cockpit on a flight on New Year’s day.
The airline is investigating on the claims that a male pilot had slapped his female colleague during an argument while the aircraft was mid air with 324 passengers on board. More reports by Indian newspapers said that a female pilot had left the cockpit in tears and that she was persuaded by the cabin crew to go back to the cockpit.
Moreover, at a point the male pilot had also left the controls briefly unattended. The airline in a statement said, “A misunderstanding occurred between the cockpit crew … However, the same was quickly resolved amicably and the flight … continued its journey to Mumbai, landing safely”. The incident has been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The people concerned have been grounded with a pending internal investigation.
Ashok Gajapati Raju, the Civil Aviation Minister said that the government must investigate the matter. The minister added, “Action will be taken according to regulations and no one will be spared”. The flight had departed London at about 10 am GMT on January 1, 2018 and arrived at Mumbai on schedule. The Jet Airways statement added, “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”. Meanwhile, the DGCA has suspended the flying license of the male pilot and has ordered a probe in the entire incident. The woman commander has been derostered. Though the matter between the pilots was resolved immediately, the incident had compromised the safety of the passengers and other crew members on the Jet Airways Flight.
Photo Credits: india
