A senior Air India pilot, who probably earns in lakhs, has been suspended after he allegedly shoplifted from a duty-free store in Sydney airport, a little while before was scheduled to operate a flight to Delhi.
According to sources, the reason issued by the pilot to the airline was that he was “elated on receiving the news that he had become a grandfather and that he went in search of a gift for his newborn granddaughter.
“I picked up something for her and as I was getting delayed, I inadvertently rushed off to the aircraft without realising I had not paid for it. But by the time I realised it was with me, I was on the aircraft and it was too late and I had to operate the flight without getting time to explain my actions to the shop manager”, he said.
For his actions, the pilot had been suspended immediately by Air India officials. An AI spokesperson said, “AI lays the highest stress on proper conduct of its staff and has zero tolerance policy towards acts of impropriety.”
In addition to his suspension, further actions have also been taken against the pilot. According to the report, here are the conditions:
“You will not enter the premises of Air India without written permission of the management. You will not leave your station (Kolkata) without written permission of the management. You will not engage yourself in any employment or avocation. You will surrender your pilot-in-command/company identity card to regional security head, Air India, Kolkata. You will not be eligible to any wages except the subsistence allowance as per rules with immediate effect.”
These are absolutely fitting steps taken towards the pilot! We hope he remembers the repercussions of his actions for life.