SAA pilot who stripped down allowed to fly again

Cape Town – The SAA pilot who caused controversy when he stripped down at Harare Airport early in July has been allowed to fly once again.

Die Burger reports that Captain Wouter van Ginkel was subjected to a disciplinary hearing by the national carrier, after which a decision was made to allow him back into the cockpit.

Van Ginkel, who has been in SAA’s service for 19 years, made headlines in the beginning of July when he reportedly lost his temper and stripped down, after being asked to remove his belt during a security clearance precaution at the Zimbabwean airport.

He was detained for four hours and had to pay a fine of R1 200. His flight was also delayed for more than five hours, stranding the 90 or so people on board.  

According to the Air Line Pilots’ Association of South Africa (ALPA-SA), Van Ginkel had not indecently exposed himself at any point, as initially suggested, but instead his pants fell down when he was asked to remove his belt. His shirt, however, covered the majority of his thighs. 

A few people who witnessed the incident tweeted about it shortly after:

@flysaa in Harare waiting for a new pilot because the last one took his pants off at the security check point. Thanks SAA for delay.

— Simon Fox (@izzyannfox) July 1, 2014

SAA pilot arrested at Harare Inter Airport for stripping down to his underwear in protest at being thoroughly searched by airport security

— African (@ali_naka) July 1, 2014