Qantas is investigating a pilot's steamy midair 'interaction' with a female passenger – actions which embarrassed crew and fellow passengers on the flight.
Passengers in the first class section of QF32 from London were stunned at the pilot's amorous antics with the woman, the Herald Sun reported.
He was seen sitting on her lap during the flight before things became quite steamy, sources said.
The pilot's seat, 1A, had privacy walls and reclines to become a bed. The pilot was off-duty and not in uniform at the time of the incident.
The Herald Sun said the pilot was scolded twice by crew as passengers became annoyed at the public display of affection.
A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed to the Herald Sun there was an incident.
"Qantas is aware of an incident involving a travelling crew member on board QF32. The matter is being investigated internally in line with Qantas policy," the spokeswoman said.
"Interaction of that nature is something that wouldn't be sanctioned."
A fellow passenger on QF32 seated across the aisle from the pilot and his companion largely confirmed the newspaper’s version of the incident. In an email, he wrote:
“I want to correct a reporting error in the Herald Sun, which says we were on the luxurious premium section of the Qantas A380 jet. As my old mate Nicolas (the off duty pilot) said to Maureen (his companion) during the early phase of courting ‘this tired old 747 rattler was built in 1986’.
“Comforting information from a senior Qantas man in first class.”
It is not the first time that amorous behaviour on a Qantas flight has hit the headlines.
Actor Ralph Fiennes was caught in a tryst with a Qantas hostess in January 2007.
