British Airways Pilot Suspended For Leaving Cockpit Door Open So His Family Could Watch Him Fly

Being an airline pilot apparently is not as glamorous a occupation because it was once. One British Airways pilot decided to take matters into his own hands to point out off his job to members of the family when he selected to fly with the cockpit door open during a London-to-Latest York flight earlier this month. It’s protected to say that the door being unlocked and wide open caught the eye of passengers and other crew members. The pilot was quickly suspended once the plane touched down within the Big Apple, and the return flight to Heathrow was canceled.

The incident happened on August 6 from Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport, arguably probably the most prestigious airline route on this planet. In line with Easy Flying, the Boeing 777’s cockpit door was open for a big period of time through the flight. Despite the regulations requiring the door to be locked, one in all the pilots made an energetic decision to maintain the door open so his family, who were onboard as passengers, could see him on the controls.

The pilot’s immediate suspension had a tangible impact on British Airways passengers attempting to get to London. The subsequent day’s return flight to Heathrow was canceled. The airline stated that the majority of the passengers arrived at Heathrow on different flights inside 4 hours of their original arrival time. A British Airways spokesperson said, “Safety and security is our top priority and allegations of this nature are all the time fully investigated.” Despite the comments from the British flag carrier, the airline lifted the pilot’s suspension after its investigation found no security risk. The incident should not be taken flippantly simply because nothing went improper.

Within the grand scheme of British Airways pilots misbehaving, someone violating post-9/11 safety protocol is not that bad. One other pilot was fired in 2023 for a wild night out in Johannesburg, South Africa before a flight to Heathrow. The married man bragged to a flight attendant about snorting cocaine off a topless woman’s chest. The flight attendant understandably told their superiors, who canceled the flight and suspended the pilot. The suspension became a termination after the pilot was flown back to Heathrow and tested positive for cocaine. It won’t sound sexy, however the passengers within the back don’t need their pilot doing coke before clocking in.