Pilot Sacked For Giving Pals Dad Lift In Cockpit

Mar 9 2008 By Norman Silvester

Exclusive Hi This Is Your Captain.. Sacked For Letting A Pal's Dad Fly In Plane's Cockpit

A BRITISH Airways pilot was sacked for flying a pal's dad to Italy in the cockpit of his plane for free.

Captain Kenny Wilson, 52, let colleague Samantha Lamb's dad sit in the jumpseat during a BA City Flyer trip to Milan.

Now the airline have sacked the s100,000-a-year pilot for breaching anti-terror rules and ground worker Samantha for fraud. Wilson, of Edinburgh, has told friends he was aware the man was related to Samantha, 28, but did not know he was ticketless.

BA is among airlines who introduced rules to combat terrorism after 9/11.

Passengers are not allowed to sit in the cockpit jumpseat or board a plane without a ticket or boarding card.

The fold-down jumpseat can only be used by staff for official reasons.

Passengers cannot even visit the cockpit, which must be closed after take-off.

Wilson was sacked after a disciplinary hearing - and an appeal has just failed.

The married dad of two - with 16 years' service - said: "I amno longer working for British Airways CityFlyer.

"I am, however, considering taking my case to an industrial tribunal."

A colleague said: "Kenny accepts it was wrong to have a passenger in the cockpit but does not feel it merits a sacking. He feels a warning would have sufficed."

CityFlyer operate from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London and from there to Milan, Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris.

BA said: "A captain has been dismissed for contravening security rules.

"Another employee was dismissed for defrauding the company."

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