Jet Airways Fires Pilots After Violent Mid-Air Argument Leaves Cockpit Unmanned

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On Tuesday, Indian airline Jet Airways fired two pilots after they briefly left the cockpit unmanned due to a heated argument during a flight from London to Mumbai on New Year’s Day.

According to reports, the male pilot slapped his female commander during an altercation mid-air on a plane carrying more than 300 passengers. 

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The female pilot, shaken by her colleagues' actions, left the cockpit in tears and only returned after pleads from the cabin crew.

Local media reports claim that the male pilot also briefly exited the cockpit, leaving the controls unattended.

The two pilots were reportedly grounded last week in response to the incident.

"Consequent to the review of the events on board Flight 9W 119 London-Mumbai of January 1, 2018, Jet Airways has terminated services of both the cockpit crew with immediate effect," a Jet Airways spokesperson said in a statement today.

The male pilot's flying license was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Investigation, even though he has been allegedly working with the airline for over a decade. A top official at the organization told the Times of India that the male pilot's actions called for "extreme measures." 

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So far, the female pilot's license has not been revoked because she left the cockpit after being physically assaulted. However, additional investigation is underway. According to an airline source, this is not the first time that the two have had issues on the job, although previous arguments never turned violent.
The flight landed safely despite the incident.

In an official statement, the airline wrote, "A misunderstanding occurred between the cockpit crew of Jet Airways flight 9W 119, London-Mumbai of 1 January, 2018. However, the same was quickly resolved amicably and the flight with 324 guests including two infants and 14 crew members continued its journey to Mumbai, landing safely."

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