Air China vaping: pilots fired, flights cut the emergency e-cigarette

China revoked the licenses of two Air China pilots after a vaping incident in the cockpit forced an emergency descent last week.

A passenger flight from Hong Kong to Dalian had to drop more than 6500m due to a sudden loss of pressure in the cabin

Investigators said that It was caused by one of the pilots The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will also launch a crackdown against the Chinese airline for three months and impose a fine of 50,000 yuan ($ 10,964 NZ) to China Central Television (CCTV). On his account WeChat

reductions on the 737 flights performed by the carrier rise to 5400 hours per month, according to the same source.

The CAAC also suspended the licenses of other employees involved in the emergency incident related to a co-pilot Smoking in the cockpit, said CCTV

He also ordered to Air China to undertake a security review of three months.

The aerial drama unfolded when one of the pilots, who was vaping, tried to turn off a fan. to stop his smoke reaching the passenger cabin. Instead, he turned off the air conditioning unit, causing a drop in oxygen levels in the cabin.

Emergency measures were triggered and oxygen masks fell

The aircraft was forced to descend rapidly. he loses cabin pressure and the pilot must bring the plane to a lower altitude to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers.

Once the crew saw that the air conditioning was off, they reactivated it and brought the flight back to its normal altitude.

The plane continued its flight as planned, and none of the 153 passengers or crew members was injured.

A third pilot on board, who was not involved in the incident, saw his license revoked for six months. It was banned by Air China for two years, South China Morning reported

that Chinese flight rules prohibit any crew from smoking and prohibiting passengers from using electronic cigarettes on board in 2006. [19659006] Air China shares fell as much as 1.4% in Hong Kong in response to the security crackdown, before recovering slightly, against a Hang Seng flat index.

The stock is down nearly 40% in Shanghai this year, with a fall in the yuan and a rise in oil prices.

Geoffrey Cheng, an analyst at BOCOM International, said the crackdown would likely have an impact on Air China's flight schedules, particularly with regard to peak tourist season, but could also prompt the airline to reduce inefficient routes. A Chinese aviation professor, who spoke under cover of anonymity as he was not allowed to speak to the media, said the cuts appeared to apply only to the Boeing 737 aircraft stationed at the headquarters of Air China in Beijing. 19659006] "For a big company like Air China, they can move 737s to their companies in Southwest China or Zhejiang … which could reduce Air China's losses," he said. said. Internal Mo It operated 269 Boeing 737s on its fleet of 655 aircraft at the end of December, according to its annual report released in March. It has 311 Airbus 320 and 321 jets.

– Reuters / BBC