British Airways has confirmed it has fired a pilot whose layover antics caused it to cancel a flight at a cost of $120,000. Numerous U.K. publications are reporting the first officer showed up for work in Johannesburg after texting a blow-by-blow description of his cocaine and alcohol-fueled antics to a flight attendant friend. “I’ve been a very naughty boy,” he reportedly texted his friend. BA uses A380s for its twice-daily service to the South African city.
When he showed up for the flight the next day, the flight attendant turned him in and the flight was canceled. The FO flew back as a passenger the next day. When he arrived at Heathrow, he was tested for drugs and failed. He was fired on the spot. The airline confirmed it had fired the pilot but didn’t elaborate. The Civil Aviation Authority said the normal procedure when notified of a failed drug test is to pull the pilot’s medical immediately. “In most cases, the pilot would have an assessment with an expert medical team and if they wished to return to flying then a comprehensive rehabilitation program would be put in place.”
