“No leeway for air crew at airport customs; their action, body language always under scrutiny”

 

IT HAS been all over the  news today: a Malaysian pilot was reportedly caught with a bag of drugs at the customs arrival checkpoint at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Friday (July 31).

Many friends personally forwarded the reports to me with one insisting that I share my comments. Since the news has been widely reported by various agencies, it is now public knowledge.

The airline has also issued a media statement, saying that it will give its fullest cooperation to the Indonesian authorities in their investigation.

While the individual involved must face the consequences of his own actions, there are a few points I would like to address based on what has been reported.

Firstly, it was reported that he was “flying under the influence”. From what I understand, he was actually a Safety Co-Pilot occupying the jump seat.

It was a Command Training flight with the trainee occupying the left seat with the instructor operating as a co-pilot sitting on the right seat. Therefore, technically, he was not an operating crew member for that flight.

Stringent checks on air crew

Secondly, this individual, a Second Officer with fewer than 1,500 flight hours, appears relatively old for his level of experience.

Reports indicate that he is already 39-years-old. Naturally, questions arise about his background and career path – how did he enter the airline at that stage of his life?

Having said that, Malaysia Airlines – and indeed any airline – has zero tolerance for drug trafficking. Such acts are taken extremely seriously.

It is true that airline crew can sometimes be targeted by criminals to act as drug couriers. However, it is incorrect to assume that airline crew receive special privileges when passing through customs.

In fact, the opposite is often true. Because of this misconception, crew members are closely monitored from the moment they disembark from the aircraft.

It may appear that they receive special treatment but crew members themselves are often unaware that once they enter the arrival hall, they may be under observation – not only by plainclothes officers but also through surveillance systems, including one-way observation areas.

Their behaviour and body language can also attract attention. This is something every crew member must understand.

It is extremely foolish to become involved in such activities. A person who has earned the opportunity to hold a well-paid professional position should understand the value of protecting that career.

Acting as a drug mule for additional income, only to risk spending years – or even a lifetime behind bars – is simply not worth it.

Airlines should not be blamed for an individual’s criminal actions. This is a personal responsibility.

Airline crew are repeatedly warned never to carry anything on behalf of anyone else regardless of the circumstances, precisely because of risks like this.

It appears that in this case, that warning was either ignored or not taken seriously. 

Captain Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar is a prominent Malaysian veteran aviation expert, former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Director of Flight Operations, chief pilot, and author who spent 39 years in the aviation industry as part of MAS’s pioneer batch of pilots.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.