Two Air India (AI) pilots have landed in trouble after they allowed south Indian actor Nithya Menon to sit inside the cockpit mid-air on a Bangalore-Hyderabad flight violating safety norms.
Taking serious view of the incident which took place last month, aviation regulator Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is now conducting a thorough probe. The airline has suspended the pilots, Jagan M Reddy and co-pilot S Kiran, pending inquiry.
“The pilots have been taken off the roster. A probe is on. The matter came to light after a passenger lodged a complaint,” an AI official said.
According to the complaint, Menon, a Malayali born in Bangalore, was allowed into the cockpit when the flight was mid-air. She had occupied the observer’s seat, which is reserved for examiners and observers authorised by the DGCA.
Meanwhile, the pilots could not be reached for their comments. Nithya Menon’s manager Venkat told Deccan Herald that the news was fabricated and she was not on that particular flight.
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