Petition from Chairpersons of Pilot Unions of 11 National Airlines
Pilot labor unions from 11 domestic airlines submitted a petition arguing that the five-month suspension disciplinary action against Captain A of T'way Air flight TW158 is unfair.
On the 11th, the Korea Federation of Pilots' Unions announced that they submitted a petition signed by the chairpersons of pilot unions from 11 national airlines on the 8th, coinciding with the second preparatory hearing of the Daegu District Court lawsuit seeking to nullify the disciplinary action against Captain A of T'way Air flight TW158, who received a five-month suspension.
Through the petition, the Federation stated, "The core issue of this case concerns what judgment and actions the captain should take when the brake pins are worn below the standard set by the company," adding, "At the time of the incident, the brake wear was below the company's announced standard, but the company did not provide any explicit instructions from the operations headquarters regarding the determination of safe operation or any request to invalidate the notice, citing the late hour."
They appealed, "All 5,673 pilots sought to uphold common sense by 'knocking on a stone bridge before crossing' for passenger safety. We ask the court for a wise judgment on whether T'way Air's action of throwing a five-month suspension at the captain in this case aligns with the common sense our law aims to protect."
On the 8th, in front of the Daegu District Court, Choi Hyun, Chairman of the Korea Pilots Labor Union Federation (second from the left), along with the federation's executive team, is delivering petitions from 11 pilot union chairpersons to Jeon Dae-il, Chief Attorney of the Law Firm Yangwoo. (Photo by Korea Pilots Labor Union Federation)
Choi Hyun, chairman of the Federation of Pilots' Unions, said, "This lawsuit is an attempt to nullify the captain's legal duty for the safe departure of the aircraft, as stipulated in the Aviation Safety Act, through the company's employment rules and to manipulate it for the company's benefit," adding, "The Federation will spare no support to uphold the intent of the Aviation Safety Act and to protect the safety of our citizens who use aircraft."
Earlier, on January 2, Captain A confirmed that the brake pad wear at Cam Ranh Airport in Vietnam was shorter than the operational standard length while preparing for takeoff to Incheon Airport and requested brake pad replacement according to regulations such as the flight technical notice.
However, T'way Air instructed departure, stating there was no problem with the operation. Captain A refused to fly, stating that safety could not be guaranteed if the flight departed and that regulations must be followed. As a result, the departure of the flight was delayed by about 15 hours. The company imposed a five-month suspension on February 1, citing losses incurred due to Captain A's decision.
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