Two EasyJet pilots were suspended for playing a Snapchat game at 30,000 feet. Neither of the pilots was focused on the controls or at the path of the plane as they continued fooling around on social media.
Captain Michel Castellucci posted a video of his co-pilot dancing with an animated owl as they were in charge of the controls in the cockpit, while carrying a full plane of holidaymakers on their way from Paris to Madrid on Wednesday.
The captain then posted a selfie on Instagram, asking his followers if they wanted “more”, describing himself and his colleague as “#TeamFlyingnut”.
The joke film was viewed over 6,000 times before the social media account was deleted.
A worried viewer commented on the video: “The cockpit duo were not focused on the controls, just on having a good time. It only takes seconds for something catastrophic to go wrong, even in cruise control.
It’s dangerous, unprofessional, and sends out the wrong image. High jinks in the cockpit at 30,000ft is never a good look.”
The captain involved often posted jokes from his Instagram account, cracking a sexist joke last year, outlining what he required from his junior colleagues.
He said in his caption: “The only things co-pilots need to say — ‘Nice landing Sir, I buy the first round, I’ll take the fat chick’.”
According to the Sun, the pilots were flying easyJet’s Airbus A320 aircraft.
An aviation insider told the tabloid: “It might be wise to save cartoons and dancing for the ground.
“No passenger wants to think their captain is focused on entertaining his online followers rather than ensuring safety.”
Low-cost airline easyJet said the video was taken during cruise control and the flight operated safely but it would be speaking to the pilots involved.
A spokesman added: “Whilst at no point was the safety of the passengers compromised, this falls short of the high standards easyJet expect of its pilots. We will speak to the pilots involved.”
The footage was posted on the captain’s social media accounts, according to The Sun, which said passengers branded the actions “irresponsible”.
EasyJet later announced that the pair had been suspended in line with the airline’s disciplinary procedures, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Source: travelandtourworld.com
