Air India, the national airline, has launched an internal inquiry into a viral video showing a former air hostess sitting in a plane’s cockpit while it was in the air. The video, which has been widely distributed on social media site X, was not received positively by many passengers and aviation experts because of the level of security allowed to crew members in and around the cockpit.
In the short video, an air hostess was shown sitting in the captain’s chair. As the camera turned towards the aircraft’s windscreen, it showed a view of outside with clouds, indicating that the aircraft had been flying for some period when the video was filmed.
This incident has led to some doubts about whether or not proper aviation procedures for cabin crew access and security were adhered to during this flight’s operation.
Air India Responds to the Incident
Air India has acknowledged the video that is circulating and is currently in the process of verifying its authenticity. The airline have stated that they have strict protocols regarding access to the cockpit and will take any violation of these protocols very seriously. An internal investigation has been launched by the airline in order to determine the facts and circumstances of the video. Air India has also stated that any further actions will depend upon the outcome of the investigation. The airline believe that safety of passengers and compliance with regulations are their primary concerns.
Social Media Reaction Intensifies
After a video went viral, there has been a lot of discussion on social media regarding whether the rules prohibiting access to the cockpit were broken.
One person posted about their concern that there appeared to be a staff member recording video in the cockpit whilst the plane was in the air.
Many also questioned whether it is permissible for someone to have access to the cockpit, especially at any time when the plane is actually flying.
At this time, it is still not known when the video was taken, whether the plane was in a critical flight phase, or if the crew member was allowed to be there.
No independent verification has been done on whether this was actually true or when the video was recorded.
When Can Cabin Crew Enter the Cockpit?
Typically, under aviation safety procedures, only the pilots who are operating the aircraft can access the cockpit area; however, there is a specific regulation in India that adds to the previous aviation safety regulations for the purpose of improving safeness within an aircraft cockpit area. The aviation regulator in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), requires that there be at least two people present anywhere inside the cockpit area at all times when the aircraft is in flight. This rule was instituted after many aviation security incidents occurred worldwide, resulting in questions about whether a single person inside the cockpit would be able to prevent others from entering.
For example, if one of the pilots needs to leave the cockpit temporarily (for example, to go to the restroom or take a quick break), then the flight attendant can enter the cockpit, in this case temporarily, and allow for two persons to always be present in the cockpit.
Possible Explanation Behind the Video
Some aviation observers stated on online forums that the viral video was possibly recorded when one of the pilots had exited the cockpit for a moment.
In this case, someone from the cabin crew may have entered the cockpit so that there would be two members of the crew in the cockpit (as required by the two-member rule).
The main questions that investigators will want to know are if it was against the operational guidelines to have video recorded in the cockpit and/or if it was against operational guidelines for someone to be in the pilot seat.
Airlines generally have strict rules concerning unnecessary activity when flying and would prohibit crew members from having filmed the crew.
Please note that if it was acceptable for that individual to be in the cockpit, there are strict guidelines with respect to flying the aircraft.
Investigation to Determine Next Steps
The airline intends to conduct an internal investigation into certain aspects of the recording of Flight XXYYZZ. It will investigate the following:
– Is there proof that the video is real?
– What were the date and flight number of the video taken?
– Did the pilots follow proper cockpit access procedures?
– Were there any violations of safety protocols?
Depending on the results of the investigation, the airline may discipline the employees involved or change their internal policies and procedures to ensure similar incidents do not occur again.
In the meantime, the airline has confirmed through their statement that safety and operational discipline for its pilots, as well as strict cockpit access procedures, are the priority of the airline’s operations.
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