Starlux Airlines’ Chairman is potentially facing a fine, after letting an influencer into the cockpit on the carrier’s inaugural flight to Los Angeles.
Starlux boss lets Sam Chui into A350 cockpit
Starlux Airlines recently launched nonstop flights between Taipei (TPE) and Los Angeles (LAX) using an Airbus A350-900, which marks the carrier’s first long haul route.
The flight’s captain was Chang Kuo-wei, who is also the carrier’s Chairman & Founder. He’s a huge avgeek, and is rated on all the planes that Starlux flies. Previously he was Chairman of EVA Air, and there he was a Boeing 777 captain.
There were all kinds of media on the flight, including airline vlogger Sam Chui, who regularly gets special access with airlines. Chui covered the flight in great detail, and also posted a picture from the cockpit with the captain from before departure. He captioned the photo “not everyday the chairman of an airline flies his passengers personally!”
You wouldn’t think much of that, except that this is apparently prohibited in Taiwan. Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) has the Aircraft Flight Operation Regulations, and Article 194 states the following:
No person may be admitted into the flight crew compartment of an aircraft except for the authorized personnel and Flight Dispatchers of the operator. However, CAA authorized personnel may be exempted from the restrictions herein this article.
As you can see, Taiwan actually bans guests from visiting the cockpit, even while the plane is on the ground with the door open.
Starlux’s Director of Flight Operations has now been summoned by authorities regarding this case. If the Chairman is found to have violated regulations as a pilot, he could be looking at a fine of up to NT$60,000 (just under $2,000), and on top of that the company would receive a warning. A second offense would lead to a fine of NT$600,000, or nearly $20,000.
Separate from this, Starlux is being investigated by authorities in Taiwan, after two Airbus A350s got stranded at Tokyo Narita Airport over the weekend. In this case, the Chairman personally flew to Tokyo Narita, though there are questions about whether everything possible was done to prevent passengers from being stranded there overnight, without even getting hotel accommodations.
My take on this cockpit incident
First let me say that Taiwan’s rule prohibiting anyone from entering the cockpit is just plain stupid, in my opinion. Of course I would understand such a ban in the air, but letting someone visit the cockpit on the ground shouldn’t be an issue. It should be at the discretion of the captain, who we otherwise trust with the safe operation of an aircraft. Heck, there are a lot of avgeeks out there, and seeing a cockpit in person is one of the things that inspires many little kids to want to become pilots.
That being said, while I think the rule is stupid, that doesn’t justify breaking it. If Starlux’s Chairman is also a pilot, he should be leading by example, and be following every rule to a “T.” I have to wonder, did he not know the rule, did he not think the rule would be enforced, or did he think an inaugural flight was a fair circumstance to break the rule?
I think it’s ridiculously cool how Starlux’s Chairman is also such a hands-on avgeek, though it is a bit concerning when he’s the one being fined for breaking rules, which presumably all other pilots are expected to follow. Does he think he’s above the rules, or what? Because that’s not great for crew resource management…
In Sam Chui’s defense, I imagine he had no clue that this restriction existed. I certainly didn’t, and presumably he only went to the cockpit because he was invited.
Bottom line
Starlux’s Chairman is potentially in some legal trouble with regulators. The Chairman personally piloted Starlux’s inaugural flight to LAX, and he let at least one visitor into the cockpit on the ground. As it turns out, that violates Taiwan’s aviation regulations, which don’t allow any visitors in the cockpit, even on the ground. While the rule seems silly to me, the Chairman should be following regulations as much as anyone else.
What do you make of this Starlux controversy?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.