Taiwan Airline Pilot Allows Influencer Into Cockpit Before Flight, Could Be Fined S$2,600

Pilot Who Allowed Influencer Into Cockpit Is Also Chairman Of Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines

For aviation buffs, entering the cockpit of a plane is a dream come true as it allows them to see the control centre of the aircraft.

However, this might not actually be allowed in certain jurisdictions, as a Taiwan airline pilot should have known.

He allowed an influencer into the cockpit of a plane he was flying — an act that the relevant authorities reportedly took a dim view of.

He now faces a fine of NT$60,000 (S$2,600).

Taiwan airline launches LA flights on 26 Apr

Starlux Airlines, a Taiwanese airline that commenced operations in 2020, recently launched flights to Los Angeles — their first destination in North America, according to a news release.

To mark the occasion, chairman Chang Kuo-wei, who’s also a registered pilot, flew the inaugural flight from Taipei to LA on 26 Apr.

The festivities were attended by YouTuber Sam Chui, who’s an Australian travel and aviation blogger with around 3.28 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

He also enjoyed a First Class seat on the flight.

Pilot allows influencer into cockpit

Apparently, besides the enhanced space, good food and service, one of the perks Mr Chui enjoyed was stepping into the cockpit of the Airbus 350.

Posting about his experience on Facebook and Twitter, he quipped,

Not everyday the chairman of an airline flies his passenger personally!

According to his video, not only did he take photos with Captain Chang, but he also interviewed the chairman for a few minutes. Thankfully, though, this appeared to have taken place before the flight, while the plane was on the tarmac.

Entering cockpit against Taiwan’s regulations

While this might not seem like a big deal to some, it’s actually a no-no in Taiwan.

That’s according to Article 194 of the Aircraft Flight Operation Regulations pescribed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which reads:

Since Mr Chui presumably wasn’t an authorised personnel or flight dispatcher, he wasn’t allowed into the cockpit.

Pilot could face S$2,600 fine

The airline is now in trouble with the island’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), reported the Liberty Times.

CAA Director-General Lin Kuo-shian reportedly said that they called in Starlux’s director of flight operations to explain the matter.

He pointed out the need to seek permission from the CAA for non-inflight personnel to enter the cockpit, which Captain Chang failed to do.

The case is currently under investigation, but if the CAA finds that the chairman has violated Article 194, he may face a S$2,600 (NT$60,000) fine.

Meanwhile, the administration may let the airline off with a warning.

However, a second offence could see Starlux facing a S$26,370 (NT$600,000) fine.

302 Starlux passengers slept overnight in airport

The cockpit incident is the latest controversy to hit Starlux. A flight to Tokyo on 6 May had to be diverted to Nagoya due to crosswinds at Narita Airport.

It ended up landing at Narita more than 7 hours late, reported ET Today.

This affected two other flights, leading to passengers sleeping overnight in the airport.

A flight from Taipei to LA reportedly experienced a 24-hour delay.

The incident led Captain Chang to fly to Narita to personally apologise to the 302 passengers affected, reported the Taiwan News.

He also promised to issue full refunds to them for their flights — a rough outlay of about S$251,000 (NT$5.7 million).

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Featured image adapted from Sam Chui on Facebook.