Woman detained after impersonating Batik Air cabin crew to board flight in Indonesia
A 23-year-old woman in Indonesia has been detained after impersonating a Batik Air cabin crew member to board and travel on a domestic flight from Palembang to Jakarta.
The woman, identified as Khairun Nisya, also known as Nisya, boarded Batik Air flight ID 70-508 from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday (6 Jan), before her deception was uncovered mid-flight.
Boarded flight in full uniform, impersonation uncovered mid-air
According to Indonesian media reports, Nisya was dressed in a full Batik Air cabin crew uniform, including a kebaya, batik skirt, neatly styled bun, airline-branded luggage, and an identification card.
Videos circulating online show her moving through the airport and aircraft without initially raising suspicion.
Source: Kuching King on Facebook
Airport management later confirmed that Nisya did not use crew-only facilities and instead boarded the flight as a regular passenger with a valid boarding pass and passed standard security screening, without using any crew-only facilities.
Her impersonation came to light during the flight when actual cabin crew noticed discrepancies in her uniform design.
Their suspicions deepened when Nisya was unable to answer basic questions related to cabin crew duties.
The crew also observed that the identification card she carried was based on a design that had been obsolete for approximately 15 years, prompting them to alert aviation security personnel.
Source: Kuching King on Facebook
Upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Nisya was detained for questioning.
Although she initially insisted she was a Batik Air employee, she later admitted to impersonating a cabin crew member and was taken to the police station for further investigation.
Airport denies security breach
Responding to public concerns, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said there had been no breach of airport security.
He explained that Nisya underwent the same screening procedures as other passengers and did not access any restricted areas.
CCTV footage confirmed that she held a valid boarding pass and cleared all required checks.
Source: @beritav_indo88 on X
Authorities added that the incident was handled professionally in coordination with the airline.
Uniform allegedly bought online
The case has also sparked online discussion, with netizens pointing out that airline crew uniforms are readily available on e-commerce platforms.
A Threads user who documented the incident claimed to have found Batik Air cabin crew uniforms listed on Shopee, with prices ranging from about 1.54 million to 2.25 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately S$120 to S$170).
The user urged others to report the listings to prevent further misuse for impersonation.
Failed job application & family deception
During questioning, Nisya reportedly admitted that she had previously applied to become a Batik Air flight attendant but failed to pass the recruitment process.
To avoid embarrassment, she allegedly told her family that she had been hired by the airline and used the uniform to support the claim.
She also said she had intended to change out of the outfit upon arrival in Palembang but ran out of time, leading her to wear it on the flight back to Jakarta.
Following the incident, Nisya issued a public apology, stating that she was not an employee of Batik Air and apologising to the airline and its parent company, Lion Group.
Batik Air has yet to issue an official statement, while authorities continue to assess whether further action is necessary.
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Featured image adapted from Kuching King on Facebook.
