... Based on the investigation and reports received, the management of Citilink decided to take firm action against the pilot by severing work relations with him...Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Low-cost carrier Citilink Indonesia has fired the pilot of the QG 800 flight who was allegedly drunk and caused the delay of the Surabaya-Jakarta flight on December 28, 2016.
"Based on the investigation and reports received, the management of Citilink decided to take firm action against the pilot by severing work relations with him," Citilink President Director Albert Burhan said in Jakarta on Friday.
He said the pilot was fired because the company believed that he had made a serious mistake and behaved unprofessionally in carrying out his duties.
The pilot also ignored flight safety and security procedures, which can endanger the safety of passengers and the crew members.
"There are three fundamental points that he violated, including the employment law, company regulations, and the human resources policy of Citilink," he said.
He was careless and ignored work procedures, which threatened the security and safety of the flight.
Citilink, said Burhan, is an airline that always prioritizes passengers' convenience and safety.
Therefore, he said, he would not tolerate employees who acted unprofessionally and ignored the code of ethics and integrity in carrying out their duties.
"The management of Citilink appreciates the passengers and ground staffers who assisted in the security of the national flight," he said.
He also conveyed his apology to the people over the inconvenient incident.
The pilot, identified as Captain Tekad Purna, was relieved of his duties on Wednesday after passengers claimed he spoke incoherently during a flight announcement before takeoff.
Many passengers decided to disembark from the plane soon after as they were suspicious that the pilot was drunk.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning as a Citilink flight prepared to depart from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, to Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.
After the incident, Citilink decided to replace the pilot and the flight eventually departed an hour behind schedule with 154 passengers on board.
The pilot was reported to have undergone a medical test at a clinic in Surabaya, East Java, as well as a second medical test in Jakarta by the Flight Health Agency. The final results of the medical check will be issued in a week.
Citilink, however, confirmed that the pilot had appeared 'physically unfit' during the incident, leading to the last-minute decision to replace him with another pilot, according to the Jakarta Post.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
