In a now-viral video, a pilot can be heard discussing flight options for a plane full of passengers he’d just told that he’d tested positive for COVID. Then, the waiting begins as passengers are forced to stay in their seats for three hours.
The video which was shared to TikTok shows a bemasked passenger, Darcy Bourne, sharing the news that she and her fellow passengers had just learned: their pilot had tested positive for COVID just mere moments earlier.
The short video starts with a caption noting the pilot had just gotten a text saying he’d tested positive and that they’d be stuck on the plane for a bit. In the background, the pilot can be heard saying: “What we’re currently doing is looking for another pilot to take my place and that process is ongoing. But it’s not going to happen quickly and at the moment we have got people in the process of trying to find someone.”
The Barbados-bound flight originated in Great Britain and ultimately after a long wait, the passengers were removed from the plane and given a voucher of 4 pounds to spend in the airport – compensation for the hassle it would seem.
British Airways released a statement to Newsweek noting, “We apologized and thanked customers for their patience and understanding while our teams worked hard to replace a pilot at short notice, so that they could continue their journey.”
According to the aforementioned Newsweek report, there was some confusion about the test being a false positive. Regardless, the passengers eventually did arrive at their final destination after a healthy delay. Allegedly they were greeted with a bottle of rum on landing.
13 comments
Why would they have to change pilots over a positive test? Does anyone else really care if this guy has a cough?
Why couldn’t the pilot fly, but just wear his oxygen mask the entire time?
That would be because the air is recycled air and Covid can be spread through that recycled air
Right! It seems like passengers never interact with the pilot. He is quarantined in the pilot area anyway.
Interesting reason for a delay I guess but not really that big of a deal. They had a delay and then got there.
He’s locked away. The only danger would be to the co-pilot. Just put on N95 masks (pilot anf co-piot) and go. When they arrive, everyone clear the area except the pilot. He leaves and is taken by a police car with a barrier between front and back seats to his quarantine location. If it’s Omicron, we are all going to get it sooner ot later and then we will have some immunity to Covid. Covid will gradually decrease deaths per year.
I’m confused, was he tested because he had symptoms? Or is that the “protocol” for pilots? Either way, he should not have boarded the plane until the results were in! DUH..
I’m laughing at the comments here wondering why he would not just fly. Are you serious?
1. He would be sent into quarantine upon landing in Barbados for perhaps as much as 10 days.
2. BA would be short a pilot for the return the next evening.
3. He would put the second pilot in harms way and a potential quarantine.
4. Imagine the press and potential legal issues if passengers found out that a pilot who knowingly tested positive for Covid flew them anyway on a nine hour flight? Talk about a media storm. it would not be a good look.
Jeez, people, amazing you actually just brush it all off.
exactly! how are people that read this blog so oblivious.
It’s also common sense. Work it out people. use your brains.
The concern is that the pilot would not be fit for duty due to COVID symptoms. High fever, chills and other symptoms would not allow him to safely fly the plane.
If he normally lives in UK, and wasn’t in UK when this happened, I hope airlines covered his hotel bill to quarantine.
Seems they maybe lost two pilots from duty. A pilot for the positive test and B copilot for exposure to someone with COVID. He probably had to quarantine, too.
everyone should triple mask and hide behind their washing machines for 6 months, covid covid covid covid covid covid, its all about covid nothing else ,just covid
It seems the pilot wanted attention by announcing it. Why not quarantine himself why flying with mask on AND he’s a man so, if needed, there are containers to pee in….