Pilot jailed for lying to get British Airways’ job
A commercial pilot was convicted of fraud after he lied about his experience to get a job at British Airways (BA), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced today.
48-year-old Kentish man Craig Butfoy admitted that between 2016 and 2018 he had falsified details and entries in his pilot logbook to retain work with BA’s London City Airport subsidiary CityFlyer and former Irish regional airline Stobart.
Butfoy was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
Commenting on the verdict, CAA’s general counsel Jonathan Spence said: “The Civil Aviation Authority’s prosecution and the sentence imposed show that offences of this kind are taken very seriously by the Civil Aviation Authority and the courts.
“Pilot integrity is at the heart of aviation safety and we will take all steps necessary to maintain that position.”
According to court documents, the pilot falsely claimed to have logged 1,610 hours of flight when applying for BA CityFlyer, and that he held a private pilot’s licence since 1998.
BA said the convicted pilot did not pose a threat to either colleagues or customers as the airline promptly launched an investigation into his claims.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and the fully-qualified pilot was suspended and an investigation launched as soon as BA CityFlyer became aware of discrepancies in his employment record,” the carrier said in a statement.
“At no point was there any risk to customers or colleagues.”