“The door was wide open for a significant time — enough for people to worry and comment,” a source said.
LONDON – A British Airways pilot has been suspended for allegedly breaching anti-terror rules by leaving the cockpit door open during a Heathrow-to-New York flight, reportedly to allow his family to see him at the controls.
According to The Sun, the captain’s actions alarmed crew and passengers, prompting an immediate report to airline management. The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an urgent investigation into the security breach.
“The door was wide open for a significant time — enough for people to worry and comment,” a source told The Sun. “BA colleagues were so alarmed that the pilot was reported in the US and bosses had to suspend him.”
The incident led to the cancellation of the return flight BA174 to London last Friday, disrupting hundreds of passengers on the Boeing 777-300.
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, cockpit doors on commercial flights have been required to remain locked at all times during flight under strict international aviation security rules.