United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
China revokes pilots’ licences following vaping incident
China has revoked the licences of two Air China pilots after one of them caused a passenger flight to plunge 21,000 feet when he was vaping in the cockpit.
The Air China flight fell due to a sudden loss of cabin pressure when one of the pilot’s accidentally turned off the air-conditioning instead of a fan as he was trying to prevent smoke from his e-cigarette wafting into the passenger cabin.
Cutting the air-con caused oxygen levels to fall, the passengers’ oxygen masks dropped and the plane went into an emergency descent.
The civil aviation body fined the airline and cut the carrier’s flights with Boeing 737 models by 10%.
It also ordered Air China to undertake a three-month safety review.
Once the crew saw that the air conditioning had been turned off, they reactivated it and brought the flight back to its normal altitude.
The plane went on to complete the flight and none of the 153 passengers or crew was injured.
A third pilot on board, who was not involved in the incident, had his licence revoked for six months and was banned by Air China for two years, according to the South China Morning Post.
Chinese flight regulations prohibit all flight crew from smoking, and banned passengers from using e-cigarettes on board in 2006.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel