A Sri Lankan Airlines pilot has been suspended after locking his female co-pilot out of the cockpit during a 10-hour flight. The co-pilot got up to use the bathroom during a flight from Sydney, Australia, to Colombo, Sri Lanka, but did not arrange for somebody else to take her place.
That angered the pilot, who refused to let her back inside the cockpit, claiming she violated “standard operating procedures.”
Senior crewmembers urged the pilot to relent and open the door, noting it was illegal to fly the plane by himself. After a tense standoff, the pilot finally relented and allowed his co-pilot back into the cockpit.
The flight, which was carrying nearly 300 passengers, landed safely in Sri Lanka without further incident.
The pilot was suspended from duty pending an investigation into the incident.
The airline is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities, and the captain has been grounded pending the outcome of the investigation,” the airline said in a statement to News.com.au. “Safety and compliance with all regulatory requirements remain Sri Lankan Airlines’ top priorities.”
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