A senior British Airways pilot, earning a substantial annual salary of £170,000 (Ksh29,879,625), has received a warning after being repeatedly caught stealing food and drinks from a staff café.

According to British News outlets, the incident, captured on CCTV, occurred at the airline’s Waterside headquarters near Heathrow Airport.

The value of the stolen items, such as sandwiches and crisps, was reportedly around £2 (Ksh351.52).

This behaviour has caused embarrassment for both the pilot and the airline.

Caught on Camera at Waterside

The pilot is an Airbus A380 training captain, a highly respected and senior role within the airline.

He has served British Airways for over two decades. His job involves mentoring other pilots on the A380, British Airways' largest aircraft.

This means he spends more time at headquarters than at the airport, which is how the thefts came to light.

CCTV footage captured him repeatedly taking items from the self-service “pavement café” located within the headquarters without paying.

This café operates on an honour system, expecting staff members to scan and pay for their own purchases. The captain, however, treated the facility "like a free pantry".

"Anyone can make a mistake once, but this was a deliberate act repeated regularly. It beggars belief someone on £170,000 a year could shoplift and save himself a few pennies."

A Question of Trust and Double Standards

When confronted by management with the CCTV evidence, the captain admitted his actions. Despite the repeated nature of the theft, he received only a warning.

There was no suspension, fine, or termination imposed. This lenient response has drawn considerable criticism, with many finding the punishment "far too soft" for the offence.

Critics point to a perceived disparity in disciplinary actions within British Airways. They suggest that a lower-ranking staff member, such as a cabin crew earning less than £30,000 annually, would likely face immediate dismissal for similar conduct.

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Protecting a senior pilot from severe consequences risks damaging employee morale and creating an impression of bias.

"If the pilot can’t be trusted to pay for his food at a café with the honor system, then how can he be trusted with hundreds of lives in an airplane?”

Integrity and Accountability

Pilots hold immense responsibility, ensuring the safety of hundreds of lives on every flight.

The behaviour of a senior captain treating an honour system café as free food raises serious concerns about professional integrity and judgment.

While the monetary loss of items worth around £2 (Ksh351.52) is minor, the damage to trust is considered serious.