In terms of stories that leave you scratching your head…
Via Arabian Business:
A fistfight between the pilot and a cabin crew member caused a Saudi Arabian Airlines plane to be grounded for six hours last week.
According to a report on the Arab News website, the cabin crew member and the aircraft’s captain were involved in a verbal argument which soon turned into a fistfight, as the flight crew were preparing the plane for take-off.
The pilot sustained an eye injury and had to be taken to hospital, while the steward was injured on his hand and was treated at the airport.
The plane was preparing to take-off from Madinah en route to Cairo when the incident happened.
You want to know the craziest part of the story, though? I was Googling to find some other sources on the story, and the craziest part is that this isn’t the first time it has happened! I found an article from 2012 with a similar story, and figured the Arabian Business article I saw was a couple of year old or shoddy reporting.
But nope, this has happened before on Saudia. Via Emirates 24/7 News back in 2012:
A Saudi pilot refused to take off and suspended a domestic flight in the Gulf Kingdom for nearly four hours after a fist fight with a cabin crew member.
The incident took place in Riyadh on Tuesday, when a Saudia aircraft with 130 passengers on board was scheduled to fly to the southern town of Abha.
Passengers were surprised when they were told to return to the airport lounge after hearing a heated argument and screams inside the cabin.
“Airport sources said the flight was delayed for four hours after the plane’s captain was involved in a fist fight with a steward,” Ajel newspaper said, adding that Saudia management is investigating the incident.
Sheesh…
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