During an Aer Lingus Airbus A330 ferry flight from Barbados to Manchester — operated without passengers — the captain required the cabin crew to sit in the economy section.
According to internal reports, the company’s senior management sent a message to the cockpit instructing the captain to allow the crew to move to the business cabin. The captain refused, citing his command authority. After landing, a report was filed against him and he was removed from duty.
The Pilots’ Union criticized management for overriding the captain’s authority, calling the intervention “damaging to safety culture,” and accused the CEO and COO of creating an atmosphere of distrust. Two other pilots resigned in solidarity. Aer Lingus stated that an internal investigation is ongoing.
