DISGRACED BA pilot Mike Beaton tried to join budget airline Wizz Air three days before our exposé.
He was one of just seven pilots invited to a selection event for the Hungarian firm near Gatwick Airport, and boasted of being pals with one of its senior executives.
Mike Beaton tried to join airline Wizz Air days before The Sun’s exposé
GettyWizz Air insisted the disgraced British Airways pilot used a valid document that had let him fly BA jets until his drug scandal four weeks earlier[/caption]
But last night there was confusion over what certificate he used to access the event.
Wizz Air insisted he used a valid document that had let him fly BA jets until his drug scandal four weeks earlier.
Pilot regulator the Civil Aviation Authority did not reveal when Beaton’s licence was revoked, but it said it would take “a very long time and rehabilitation” for anyone who had been sacked for taking drugs to get back their permission to fly.
A pilot at the Wizz Air recruitment event at the L3 Harris Academy in Crawley, West Sussex, said: “To even get invited you needed to provide documents including a valid medical certificate.
“It was baffling how Mike Beaton was there, especially as he was telling everyone about his sordid BA past.”
Last night a Wizz Air spokesman told The Sun on Sunday: “Mr. Beaton did attend a Wizz Air pilot selection event on 23rd September, prior to any media exposure. He was not successful in his application and has not been hired by Wizz Air.
“Wizz Air follows strict procedures when recruiting for pilots. All applicants must have a valid UK CAA Class One Medical, and therefore meet the requirements to obtain and maintain the requirements of that medical. This is managed and issued by the UK CAA, and the documents’ validity is checked by Wizz Air.
“The safety of passengers is our number one priority, so in addition to regular requirements, we conduct stringent psychoactive substance testing and background checks when hiring new staff to ensure pilots are fit to fly.”
“At the time of application, the pilot held a valid Class 1 medical. Issue, suspension, and revocation of pilot medicals is controlled by the UK CAA. Falsifying these documents is a criminal offence – if a pilot’s medical is suspended by the UK CAA they have to surrender that medical, so they would not be able to present one.”
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