Two Indian pilots suspended from work after drinking coffee and pastries. In the cockpit

image

An Indian airline has decided to suspend two pilots for drinking coffee and pastries in the cockpit.

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet said in its decision that the two Indian pilots had coffee and pastries in the cockpit during a snack break, stressing that their behavior could have been a disaster.

Social media platforms circulated a photo showing the moments when the arrested pilots had coffee and pastries without showing their faces.

The sight of the two open coffee cups sparked controversy, which the company considered very worrying if the hot coffee was spilled near the controls inside the cockpit.

A spokesman for the company revealed that both pilots have been excluded from the list of pilots, noting that they are awaiting investigation.

He confirmed that SpiceJet has a strict policy on food consumption inside the cockpit that all flight crew adhere to.

"Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken upon completion of the investigation."

Shakti Lomba, a retired pilot and former head of operations for IndiGo, told CNN that the pilots' actions were "completely inexplicable."

All pilots are aware of the risk of fluid spillage in the cockpit, Lomba said, explaining that most of the company's rules and flight regulations prohibit putting any food and liquids on the central console.

He pointed out that under the control unit there is a wide range of electrical wires that are vital to control the aircraft, indicating that spilling hot drinks on it may overheat the technical equipment or turn off the system.