Civil Aviation authorities yesterday revoked the licence of a SriLankan Airlines flight captain after it was revealed that the man was a fake, a top official said.
Civil Aviation Director General Parakrama Dissanayake said the pilot, a German national, had gained employment with the airlines, producing cleverly-doctored documents.
He said the decision to revoke the licence was taken after Sri Lankan Airline submitted clear evidence which suggested that the suspect had forged documents regarding his qualifications and experience.
Mr. Dissanayake said the man was later summoned to the Civil Aviation Authority office for an inquiry conducted by senior flight officers. It was thereafter decided to revoke the license with immediate effect.
The German national joined the national carrier in 2007 and had piloted flights to various capitals, risking the lives of thousands of passengers and crew as well as many others on the ground, SriLankan Airlines sources said. They said the suspect had not only possessed a forged pilot license but also carried three different passports.
It has now been revealed that the man was not a qualified airline captain but a low ranking flight officer and not eligible to pilot an Airbus A 340.
During his stay with SriLankan Airlines he had flown the Airbus A 340 that touched down in many busy airports such as Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai, the sources said.
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