A British Airways Captain was reportedly held up at gunpoint and then stabbed in the leg during a terrifying ordeal while on a layover in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The long-serving pilot had reportedly left a secure development known as Melrose Arch in Johannesburg to go for a jog with a colleague when they were held at gunpoint earlier this week.
The pilot was rushed to a local hospital but was allowed to return home after receiving treatment. The veteran aviator was forced to fly home as a passenger, although BA managed to avoid any disruption by despatching a replacement crew member from London.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, there is a high rate of crime in South Africa, including violent crimes such as robbery, rape and murder.
A spokesperson for British Airways said the airline had been offering support to both victims.
Earlier this month, a British Airways passenger was seriously injured by a seatmate on a flight from London Gatwick to St Lucia when the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim in the abdomen with a broken wine bottle that he had smashed in the rear galley of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
During that incident, the pilots were forced to continue flying to St Lucia because there was no alternative airport to divert to, while the victim received medical care from an off-duty nurse who was flying as a passenger on the aircraft.
That’s awful. Rule of thumb is to not jog around too many joggers in that environment. We saw the same thing happen in Thailand I believe and even on a beach in Aruba at 2AM. Stick to tourist areas where there are safety in numerous. This rule of thumb applies to pilots and airline staff or anyone coming from the West. Don’t think you can do local things if you are not a local because you won’t know how to read areas and know where to avoid and what’s ok. So many people have lost their lives or been attacked by joggers because they have to get in a run. Don’t put fitness above your safety.