Mumbai:
Air India has denied reports that two of its pilots napped in business class leaving two flight attendants in charge of a plane from Bangkok to Delhi last month. In a statement issued today they said that at no point was the cockpit left unattended.
Below is Air India's full statement.We draw your kind attention to a news item captioned "Callous AI pilots put 166 passengers' lives at risk" appearing in a section of media.
In this connection, we would like to state that the report is made out of baseless information, tarnishing the image of the airline. The facts are as under:
- It is categorically stated that at no point of time the cockpit was left unattended by the cockpit crew.
- Based on a report that two cabin crew members were in the cockpit for a prolonged period on the said flight, the airline management proactively summoned the cockpit and cabin crew for an enquiry.
- As the enquiry confirmed the over stay of the cabin crew in the cockpit, administrative action was taken against them and the pilot. They have been suspended pending the final enquiry of the incident.
- During the incident, due to distraction the co-pilot had touched the auto pilot disconnect button momentarily. But the same was connected back.
- At Air India, flight safety is paramount. We take all steps to ensure that safety is not compromised under any circumstances.