Kingfisher pilot who flew woman in cockpit taken off duty

A Kingfisher pilot, who had allegedly flew a woman in cockpit in violation of safety rules from Delhi to Mumbai on Sunday last, has been taken off the duty pending a probe by the airline.

Taking a strong view of the violation of safety rules by a senior pilot, the civil aviation regulator, Director General of Civil Aviation, had sought a report from the airline. "The probe is on and till then the pilot has been derostered, as per the standard procedure," airline sources said.

Kingfisher Airlines, which is already facing a safety audit by the DGCA, came under fresh scrutiny following reports of one of its pilots flying woman in the cockpit in violation of rules.

The commander, who is also a head of the Kingfisher Airline's pilot training, had overruled the objection by the cabin crew who informed the incident to the management when the flight landed at Mumbai.

The incident came at a time when the DGCA is conducting safety audits of cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines and another airlines, which are facing financial distress as per the civil aviation regulator's audit in December last.

After Kingfisher submits its report, the DGCA would initiate its own investigations and if the pilot was found guilty then his licence may be suspended for a few months.