Two pilots for Jet Airways, India's domestic and long-haul carrier, have been fired after a stunning incident that left the cockpit empty two times after a violent confrontation on a flight from London to Mumbai on New Year's Day.
The soap-opera worthy story began when a female captain left the flight deck in tears during the cruise phase. She had been slapped by a male captain who was serving as a co-pilot on the flight, reports say. As she stood in the galley sobbing, flight attendants sought to comfort her while also urging her to return to the flight deck, according to an account in the Times of India. "The co-pilot also kept buzzing (calling from the intercom in the cockpit) the crew, asking them to send the second pilot back," the newspaper reported.
When she would not return to her post, the co-pilot abandoned the controls to retrieve the captain, leaving the cockpit empty. Unbelievably, even after they both returned to the flight deck, the fight flared a second time, and the entire episode (minus the slapping, apparently) repeated itself. This time, passengers were aware of the fracas and they joined the flight attendants in concern for their safety — as might be expected.
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which has its hands full trying to keep India's aviation sector in compliance, is considering permanently suspending the male pilot's licence to fly, explaining the disparity in treatment between the two by saying that when the captain left the cockpit, there was still a pilot at the controls and therefore she was not in violation of regulations. The co-pilot's behavior, was "unheard of and calls for extreme action."
Jet Airways operates more than 100 airplanes into four continents in addition to having a robust network within India. It is an alliance partner of Etihad. Before they were fired, both Jet Airways pilots held senior positions with the airline. Reports say the two had flown together before and had flight deck disagreements in the past.
This story is shocking on so many levels, it begs the question, what lapses in training allowed repeated instances of unprofessional behavior by senior pilots? What previous indication did the airline have that one or both of these pilots might be experiencing emotional issues that could impact their judgment and decision-making and what, if anything did they do about it? The possibility that the issue is gender-based or part of an environment of discrimination should not be overlooked either.
The new year began with the happy report that 2017 had been the safest year ever for commercial jet transport, without a single fatality. But the error in measuring safety by a lack of fatalities is that stories like this are overlooked. In addition to being a jaw-dropper, this event is a clear indication that things are amiss and India's aviation authority must not stop the investigation without looking further at the chain of events on that inauspicious flight on New Year's Day.
