'Alarming': British Airways pilot left cockpit door open mid-flight for family; grounded

A British Airways pilot was reportedly suspended after he left the aircraft’s cockpit door open while operating a Heathrow (LHR) to New York, John F. Kennedy (JFK) flight, reported the Sun.

The pilot allegedly wanted his family, who were travelling as passengers, to watch him at the controls, an incident that alarmed some travellers and led crew members to file a report with the airline.

As a result, the return flight BA174, scheduled to arrive in London last Friday, was cancelled, disrupting travel plans for hundreds of passengers aboard the twin-engine Boeing 777-300.

Since the September 2001 9/11 attacks, when terrorists hijacked US passenger planes and crashed them into skyscrapers in New York City, security measures have tightened, requiring pilots to keep cockpit doors locked. This is done to prevent unauthorised access.

“Crew and passengers immediately noticed the cockpit door was open and wanted to know what was happening. It made passengers incredibly uneasy,” a source was quoted as saying by the Sun.

“The door was wide open for a significant time, enough for people to worry and comment,” the source said, adding that "BA colleagues were so alarmed that the pilot was reported in the US and bosses had to suspend him.”

Sources at British Airways stated that the pilot’s suspension was consistent with company policy.

After a formal investigation, the airline determined there was no security risk, and the pilot has since resumed active duty, as per Aviation A2Z.

A British Airways spokesperson emphasised that safety and security are the airline’s top priorities and that all such claims are thoroughly examined.