In what could easily be mistaken for a plotline from a soap opera set at 30,000 feet, the skies above Sri Lanka witnessed an epic saga that descended into a flurry of accusations, spats, and demands for apologies that not even the best reality TV producers could have scripted.
The scene unfolded when pilots from SriLankan Airlines were unceremoniously booted from an Air Belgium flight in Colombo an event that prompted the Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka to demand an apology not just from the Belgian pilot in command who dared to show them the exit, but also from their own airline management accused of bungling the travel bookings. It seems even the skies aren’t high enough to escape from workplace drama.
As if the situation wasn’t charged enough, a local newspaper added jet fuel to the fire by suggesting our SriLankan pilots were victims of both racial abuse and body shaming. Because, of course, what’s a high-flying altercation without a bit of scandal to spice up the headlines?
Enter Nilmini Welivita, a former SriLankan Airlines staffer and self-proclaimed animal activist, who unleashed a comment from her new den in Sydney, stating, “We all know our pilots are a bunch of spoilt idiots. They are flying drunk at times. They are probably jealous because the stewardesses are eyeing the Belgian pilots.” One might wonder if her animal activism was just a warm-up for the wild accusations thrown into the cyber ring.
Not to be outdone, Chitra Madugalle jumped into the fray with a claws-out reply, “Wow you got nothing between your ears Love. Are you jealous that no pilot looked at you? Don’t make up slanderous stories involving people’s livelihoods. As you worked for the airline before we all know your reputation.”
It now appears that the pilot’s joystick and the cockpit in general is certainly a place where things can get a bit bumpy after all.
An anonymous current staff member speculated that Nilmini’s biting remarks might stem from a turbulent past with a pilot, suggesting her venting session was a delayed landing of long-held grudges. He remarked, “Stating that pilots report for duty and fly drunk is perhaps personal knowledge from her part because she flew as a stewardess. This is a very serious offense and with the current Online Act being passed, she should be hauled in for making this comment because it seriously undermines the safety of the national airline.”
In this high-altitude drama, where pilots are offloaded and insults fly faster than the planes, one wonders if we need a kangaroo court to sort out what’s quickly devolving into a messy public spat or as some might call it, a pussy fight over who gets the last word.
As the plot thickens and descends into a spiraling catfight, stay tuned for more updates because at this rate, the saga of SriLankan Airlines promises more twists and turns than a turbulent flight.
Hi, I have been a Crew member myself for 20 years and with responsibility I can say that our Pilots had and has the highest standards of the Airline sector and have maintained proffesionalism.
These baseless allegations are nothing but baseless.
No one in any capacity can take away both the cockpit and cabin crew relationship and indeed what has transpired between Air Belgian is certainly unwarranted.