Credit: Davidi Vardi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A British Airways pilot has been suspended after he was accused of drunkenly assaulting three female crew members during a night out between flights in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The pilot, who is in his 50s and married, reportedly exploded after an argument with his 25-year-old lover, who had accompanied him on Flight BA057 from Heathrow on a discounted ticket.
Following the altercation, the pilot returned to the crew hotel and allegedly confronted three colleagues—a cabin manager, a first-class stewardess, and an in-flight lead—in the hotel bar.
Security staff at the Marriott Hotel were forced to intervene, escorting him to his room as he was reportedly too intoxicated to stand.
The situation escalated when the crew refused to operate the return flight if the pilot was in the cockpit, prompting British Airways to fly him back to the UK as a passenger on a different flight.
The pilot, a father of two, has been suspended pending further investigation. BA bosses are said to be increasingly concerned about unruly behaviour among their crew between flights.
The airline has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the incident, but internal inquiries are ongoing.
