AI suspends pilot for earring tantrum

Air India (AI) has suspended a senior pilot whose refusal to take his earrings off had led to an international flight being delayed by over an hour last month.

Air India (AI) has suspended a senior pilot whose refusal to take his earrings off had led to an international flight being delayed by over an hour last month.

Captain Bhagath Singh had refused to take off his earrings, as reported by HT, after being asked to do so by his senior before operating a Chennai-Colombo flight on November 24.

The flight departed after top officials allowed Singh to operate the flight with the earrings on. The aviation ministry had directed AI to file a detailed report on the incident.

According to the AI operational manual, approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, male pilots are not permitted to wear earrings on duty.

“Male crew are not permitted to have long hair or long side burns and intimidating moustache or very long unkempt beards or ear rings and nose ring in uniform,” says the operational manual.