A SriLankan Airlines captain has been grounded after locking out his female copilot during a flight from Sydney, Australia to Colombo. The incident has sparked broad concern over the breach of operational protocols and is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.
The incident in question occurred during the scheduled UL607 flight service between Sydney Kingsford Smith international airport (SYD) and Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB).
SriLankan UL607 Sydney-Colombo
During the flight, which was operated by a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-300, the captain reportedly clashed with his female first officer. The dispute reportedly occurred when the first officer left the flight deck on a toilet break without arranging another crew member to replace.
The temporary substitution of another crew member on the flight deck is standard operating procedure for the airline.
The captain’s actions then occurred after the copilot left her position to take a toilet break. In an apparent retaliatory action, the captain then locked out his colleague from the flight deck, preventing her return.
This effectively became a further breach of standard operational procedures,. It isolated the captain as the sole operating flight crew member on the flight deck.
SriLankan Airlines Statement
The airline has issued a statement confirming the incident. It stated that the captain has now been removed from operational duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
SriLankan Airlines has emphasized its commitment to safety and compliance with all regulatory requirements. The carrier released a brief confirming statement following the in-flight incident.
“Sri Lankan Airlines confirms that an investigation is currently underway following civil aviation regulations regarding the incident on flight UL 607 from Sydney to Colombo on 21st September 2024.”
“The airline is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities. The captain has been grounded pending the outcome of the investigation. Safety and compliance with all regulatory requirements remain Sri Lankan Airlines’ top priorities.”
Following the in-flight altercation, the flight continued to Colombo where it landed without further incident. The flight in question is a long-haul service of approximately 10.5 hours duration.
The aircraft conducting the UL607 service from Sydney was an Airbus A330-300 wide-body aircraft, registered 4R-ALM. This is a 10 year old aircraft owned and operated by the carrier SriLankan Airlines.
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