A pilot of British Airways lost his job after snorting cocaine during a stopover at Johannesburgbefore returning to London in a plane full of passengers.
It was a flight attendant from the company who warned the crew about pilot behavior during their night off in Johannesburg. It must be said that the latter was not very smart since he had bragged about it to her by text message, reports The Sun. According to her, the pilot, father of one, sent her text messages bragging about his antics “naughty” including two local men, a Spanish woman and a Welsh tourist, met in a nightclub in Johannesburg. “I was a very naughty boy,” he told her. After hours of drinking, the group went to a hotel bar for one last drink before meeting up in one of the apartments. The rest of the night is divided between coke rails snorted on the chests of topless girls and exposed legs.
A source of British Airways told The Sun that the incident had left the airline in shock. “Of all the bad behavior that happens between flights, this incident is hard to believe”said the source. “A first officer is rigorously trained and knows the law like the back of his hand. Their mission is to protect the passenger safety “. “The idea of sending details of your alcohol and drug consumption to a flight attendant between flights is extraordinarily stupid”they added.
“Safety is always our top priority. The matter has been referred to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and this person no longer works for us,” British Airways said. A spokesperson confirmed that there was no risk to passengers and that the pilot had not flown the plane. He returned simply as a passenger, but the affair represented a serious cost for the British company. The Sun reports that the incident led to the cancellation of the 12-hour flight from South Africa to the United Kingdom, costing British Airways approximately £100,000.
When he was drug tested at Heathrow, “alcohol would no longer have been found in his system, but the class A drug was”said the source. “He will never fly again.” » The pilot had his medical certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which now makes him unable to fly. “An airline must inform us immediately if a British pilot has abused drink or drugs on or while on board an aircraft. In these cases, we will immediately suspend the medical examination of the pilot, which means that he will not be able to fly,” said a CAA spokesperson. “In most cases, the pilot will be assessed by an expert medical team and should they wish to return to flying, a comprehensive rehabilitation program would be put in place. At the end of this process, the medical examination would only be reinstated if we are completely satisfied. »
“An airline must inform us immediately if a British pilot has abused drink or drugs on board or on board a plane”the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
