Jet Airways has grounded two senior pilots commanding a London-Mumbai flight with 324 people on board for fighting mid-air and walking out of the cockpit, The Times of India reported on Thursday.
The pilots, a man and a woman, began fighting in the cockpit soon after take off. The male commander allegedly slapped the woman, after which she walked out of the cockpit in tears, the newspaper reported.
The cabin crew tried to comfort her and send her back to the cockpit. However, the male pilot kept buzzing the crew, asking them to send her back in, The Economic Times reported. When the woman did not return, the man reportedly walked out of the cockpit, leaving it unmanned for some time. The female pilot then went back to the controls until the flight landed.
A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the incident but said the problem was “quickly resolved amicably and the flight with 324 guests including 2 infants and 14 crew continued its journey to Mumbai, landing safely”.
The airline said it has reported the incident to the safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and the pilots have been “derostered pending an internal investigation”.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation chief BS Bhullar told The Times of India that the male pilot’s licence has been suspended. “We have ordered an investigation,” he added.
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