The Serbian Captain is also a co-owner of the airline. The Ministry of Transport is examining the Office’s progress.
An AirExplore captain and co-owner of the Slovak airline Vladimir Nikolic let his minor son sit on his lap during an inaugural flight from Bratislava to Split. The flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800, with registration OM-LEX back in July 2020.
The captain’s son reportedly sat between his father’s legs holding by the knee. Nikolic took a photo and shared the shot on social networks.
Martin Stulajter, the head of the company, confirmed that the airline started to solve the situation itself after receiving a complaint saying:
“We have received information that the State professional supervision of the Transport Authority will be performed for the flight in question on the basis of an anonymous report. The company started an internal investigation, and when it found a mistake, it reported the incident to the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic.”
“The mere fact that the child was allowed to enter the cockpit was not a violation of the then valid company procedures. The mistake occurred when the captain allowed his son to sit between his legs,” he added.
In a statement, AirExplore stated that the captain had handed the controls to the first officer as is normally done when the captain needs to take a toilet break.
“The aircraft was fully under control by licensed and trained specialist personnel throughout the flight. We are sorry for the misconduct and apologize to the passengers who were concerned. But we want to reassure the public that safety is an absolute priority for our society.”
Feature Image: “AirExplore”