During a layover in Johannesburg, a British Airways pilot was abducted, assaulted and robbed by thieves, according to The Sun.
The first officer was apparently the victim of a scam when a woman asked him to help carry her bags to her car outside of a supermarket. Upon reaching the vehicle, several men pushed him inside the car and drove him to a remote location where he was allegedly tortured for hours until surrendering “thousands of pounds.”
Due to his injuries, the unnamed pilot was unable to fly the aircraft back to London and a replacement was brought in, according to The Sun. The Telegraph said it was the second attack of a British Airways employee in the last six months. Another pilot was stabbed in the leg while on a run and held at gunpoint in 2023.
“We are supporting our colleague and the local authorities with their investigation,” the airline told The Sun. The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 2 advisory for individuals traveling to South Africa, urging tourists to exercise extreme caution due to prevalent violent crime in the area.
