A Norwegian Air plane flew with reduced cabin crew after four flight attendants walked out following an argument over safety with the pilot.
The pilot decided to continue with the flight from New York to Sweden on January 26 despite the reduced crew.
The four flight attendants walked out due to safety fears over an impending snowstorm.
According to the Norwegian aviation authorities, it was a safety violation to fly with a reduced aircrew and it is now investigating.
However Tomas Hesthammer, the head of Norwegian’s flight operations, told Norwegian media the five operational crew for the 196 passengers is within the legal minimum limit.
Norwegian’s communications chief, Charlotte Holmbergh Jacobsson, said the airport remained open for departing flights at the time and other airlines were operating normally.
"The pilot has the main responsibility for security on board and he is the one who makes the call whether it’s safe to fly or not. That’s not a task for the cabin crew," she told Swedish news agency TT.
The cabin crew who walked out are currently grounded pending further investigation, Jacobsson said.
