An Indian civilian airline captain was caught calling his girlfriend, a passenger, into the cockpit during a flight, prompting local aviation authorities to launch an investigation.
According to Indian media including the Times of India on the 22nd (local time), on February 27th, the captain of an Air India passenger plane flying from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to New Delhi, India, called his girlfriend, who was seated in economy class, into the cockpit after being unable to upgrade her seat.
The captain's girlfriend reportedly spent about an hour sitting in the co-pilot's seat in the cockpit.
The captain instructed a flight attendant to bring alcohol and business class meals, saying, "The cockpit should be warm and comfortable like a living room." He is also reported to have made rude and sexist remarks to the flight attendant.
The flight attendant reported the incident to Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India. The DGCA immediately launched an investigation and summoned the crew members of the flight the day before to ascertain the facts.
Air India stated, "We take this incident very seriously and are conducting an investigation. We will apply a zero-tolerance policy regarding passenger safety issues."
Meanwhile, various violations of regulations by civilian airlines have recently caused controversy in India. In March, a SpiceJet pilot was disciplined for violating safety guidelines by placing an open coffee cup next to the cockpit lever during a flight.
In January, a passenger plane of the low-cost airline Go First took off from Bengaluru Airport without boarding 55 passengers who were waiting on the runway and was fined.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
