NEW DELHI: Jet Airways has grounded two of its senior pilots for fighting inside the cockpit of a London-Mumbai flight on January 1. The commander allegedly slapped the lady co-pilot mid-flight after which she left the cockpit in tears. After great persuasion she went back to the cockpit but is learnt to have come out again in a huff. This time, the frightened cabin crew requested her to go back and safely operate the flight to its destination.

The incident took place this Monday, when the aircraft was over the Iran-Pakistan airspace, and was 2.45 hours away from its destination, an airline source told PTI When contacted,

a Jet Airways spokesperson said there was a “misunderstanding” between the cockpit crew and the same was “resolved amicably” and “quickly”. According to reports, the first time the commander also left the cockpit to persuade the co-pilot to return to the cockpit. Leaving the cockpit unmanned is a gross violation of air safety rules. They had another fight after which she left the cockpit for the second time..

Luckily the plane landed safely. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the co-pilot’s flying licence and ordered a probe into the entire episode.

This unprecedented cockpit fight happened on 9W 119 soon after the Boeing 777 took off for its 9-hour journey to Mumbai with 324 passengers and 14 crew members on board on New Year Day at 10 am (UK time). “Some time after the plane took off, the two had a fight. The captain slapped the co-pilot and she left the cockpit in tears. She stood in the galley sobbing. The cabin crew tried to comfort her and send her back to the cockpit. Meanwhile, the captain also kept buzzing (calling from the telecom in the cockpit) to the crew, asking them to send the second pilot back,” said sources.