Flying licence of two Jet pilots suspended for five years

Mumbai: Aviation Regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday suspended the flying licence of two former Jet Airways pilots for five years for getting into a mid-air brawl on its London-Mumbai flight earlier this month.

According to a senior official of DGCA, the pilots' flying privileges have been withdrawn for leaving the cockpit unattended and thereby jeopardising flight safety. The order means that both the pilots will not be eligible to fly with any airlines during their suspension.

Jet Airways has already terminated the services of both pilots following the incident, in which the male co-pilot allegedly slapped the fellow women commander inside the cockpit after he got into a physical fight with her.

According to the DGCA official, "Keeping in view serious lapses endangering the safety of aircraft operations, DGCA has suspended the privileges of the license of both the involved pilots for a period of five years."