A British Airways pilot has been suspended after a flight to London was unable to take off due to the cockpit door being allegedly left open, reports say.
Flight BA174 was due to travel from New York and land at Heathrow Airport last Friday but had to be cancelled due to the incident.
The captain wanted his family, who were on board the flight, to see him operating the controls, according to sources.
The Sun reports that hundreds of passengers were disrupted after the pilot’s actions alarmed other fliers, and he was reported by the crew on board the British Airways flight.
A source told the newspaper that those on board immediately noticed the cockpit door was open, leaving passengers “incredibly uneasy”.
“The door was wide open for a significant time — enough for people to worry and comment,” the source added.
"BA colleagues were so alarmed that the pilot was reported in the US and bosses had to suspend him.”
The pilot is understood to be back flying already since no security threat was identified.
His suspension was in line with BA policy according to sources at the airline.
Cockpit doors have been locked on all flights since the 9/11 terror attack in 2001, when four commercial jets were hijacked and crashed into US landmarks like the World Trade Centre.
BA said customers that were meant to travel on the cancelled flight from New York to London were given alternative flights, and the vast majority arrived within four hours of their original arrival time.
An airline spokesperson said: “Safety and security is our top priority and allegations of this nature are always fully investigated.”
