Pilot banned from flying for life after ‘letting female passenger into cockpit mid-flight’

A PILOT in China has been banned from flying for life after he invited a female passenger into the cockpit.

Images show the woman sitting in the pilot’s seat while posing for the camera.

A pilot has been banned from flying for letting a woman in the cockpitCredit: AsiaWire

Air Guilin flight GT1011 was travelling from Giulin to Yangshzou on January 4 when the incident occurred, according to local media, but the images have only recently circulated on social media.

In the image, the woman has food and drink in front of her while she shows a peace sign with her fingers.

The photograph was captioned. “Many thanks to the captain. So happy.”

It has since been deleted.

It has been suggested that the woman in question is a flight attendantCredit: AsiaWire

The identity of the woman has not been revealed but rumours suggest she is a flight attendant training with the airline.

Experts have added that the picture appears to have been taken mid-flight, according to the BBC.

Since it was posted on Chinese social media website Weibo, the pilot has been suspended, the airline claimed in a statement on the platform.

According to aviation regulation, passengers are not allowed in the cockpit unless it is “necessary”.

Other crew members have also been suspended since her picture surfaced on social mediaCredit: AsiaWire

Her social media page has been wiped sinceCredit: AsiaWire

The airline said that the pilot had “violated [regulations] by allowing irrelevant personnel into the cockpit”.

They also added: “Air Guilin always makes passenger safety a top priority and has zero tolerance for improper or unprofessional behaviours that pose threats to aviation safety.”

Other crew members involved were also suspended while further investigations take place.