Off-Duty Cockpit Visitors Land Ryanair in Hot Water With Irish Aviation Authority

The IAA is investigating a case in which passengers were allegedly allowed to visit the cockpit during a recent Ryanair flight.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is launching an investigation into whether or not a group of off-duty Ryanair crew members were allowed improper access to the cockpit of a flight during takeoff and landing. The Independent reports the crew members may have been allowed in the cockpit despite allegations of drinking before the flight.

The report of the cabin guests came from a flyer onboard the Ryanair flight to Berlin, identified only as “Bridget” by The Independent. In her account, Bridget alleges the three women who visited the cockpit were drinking at Dublin International Airport (DUB) prior to the flight. After taking off, Bridget claims she witnessed the visitors leave the front of the plane and return to their seats towards the back.

“They couldn’t have been in the toilets. The air hostesses check the toilets when you’re ascending and they have to make sure everything is locked,” Bridget told The Independent. “My husband noticed them and said ‘those girls are coming out of the cockpit.'”

When the captain announced the initial descent into Berlin Schoenefeld Airport (SXF), Bridget claims that the women once again went to the front of the cabin, taking pictures along the way. While she noted that they were wearing tags, the cockpit visitors were not in proper Ryanair uniforms, a discrepancy which caused her to be alarmed.

The IAA and Ryanair offer differing takes on the situation. In a statement to The Independent, the IAA said it would investigate the claims and that generally “access to the cockpit is restricted to operational staff, including staff passengers, unless they are known to the commander and are invited to have access to the cockpit.”

A Ryanair spokesman said the airline had looked into the incident and determined that the cockpit visitors were airline employees who were traveling while off duty. “All three were wearing their Ryanair ID and were known to the flight crew,” said Robin Kiely, head of communications for Ryanair. “Following the investigation the matter is now closed.”

[Photo: Ryanair]