Indonesia warns airline over intoxicated pilot

By Editor

indonesian authorities warned budget airline PT Citilink Indonesia after videos showed an allegedly intoxicated pilot stumbling through security and speaking incoherently on the plane’s public address system.

  Citilink, a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, said it fired the pilot after the December 28 incident at Surabaya airport before a flight to Jakarta. The airline also said two executives had offered to resign. A replacement pilot flew the aircraft.   Parliamentary transport commission chief Fary Djemi Francis urged Citilink to investigate possible drug use. He also demanded sanctions because the pilot skipped the briefing room and fitness checks.   Transport ministry spokesman Bambang S. Ervan said the ministry sent a warning letter to Citilink. He added that investigators found the airline failed to follow health checks and safety procedures.   Citilink, without naming the pilot, confirmed his dismissal for ignoring safety rules that could have endangered passengers and crew. Chief Executive Albert Burhan and operations director Hadinoto Soedigno also offered to resign, pending shareholder approval.   “We would never take risks with passenger safety,” company spokesman Benny Butarbutar said.   Videos of the incident spread widely online, alarming many in a country with a poor air safety record. One clip, from CCTV, showed the pilot walking unsteadily through security. Another, filmed on a phone, captured him slurring words while arguing with crew in the cockpit. Reuters could not verify the footage, and Citilink declined direct comment.   Indonesia has struggled with airline safety after years of accidents. Several carriers once faced bans from the European Union and other markets.   Citilink operates 34 planes and runs 184 daily flights, according to its website.      
FILE PHOTO: A Citilink Airbus A320 approaches for a landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta June 14, 2013. REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: A Citilink Airbus A320 approaches for a landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta June 14, 2013. REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni/File Photo

 

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