Mr Craig Aaron David Butfoy of Matfield was tried at Snaresbrook Crown Court on the 28th March and was sentenced to serve a one-year sentence. The 49-year-old pleaded guilty to charges relating to false representations he made to airlines about his flying and command experience. The maximum penalty for fraud by false representation is 12 years.
Butfoy made the falsified statements between April 2016 and March 2018 in support of an application to work for British Airways regional affiliate BA CityFlyer and regional Irish carrier Stobart Air. Commenting on the case, Jonathan Spence, General Counsel at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“The Civil Aviation Authority's prosecution and the sentence imposed show that offences of this kind are taken very seriously by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Courts. Pilot integrity is at the heart of aviation safety and we will take all steps necessary to maintain that position.”
The pilot in question was fully certified and held a valid license during his employment, BA Cityflyer has confirmed. No passengers or flight crew were at risk, and the airline launched an immediate suspension and investigation when the errors came to light.
The charges involved rather the falsification of flight time hours and experiences in the job publication made to the regional subsidiaries. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the suspension and subsequent inquiry to Simple Flying:
"The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and the fully qualified pilot was suspended, and an investigation launched as soon as BACityflyer became aware of discrepancies in his employment record."
"At no point was there any risk to customers or colleagues."
BA Cityflyer
BA Cityflyer, who was awarded an Air Operators Certificate on the 8th February 2007, and started operations on the 25th March 2007, is based at London City Airport (LCY) and serves 26 domestic and regional European destinations onboard its fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft. The unique location of London's downtown airport severely limits the type of aircraft available to land to primary turboprops and smaller jets. The airline previously flew Saab 2000s until the last one was retired in 2018 and recently sent its six remaining ERJ-170 aircraft across the pond to fly for Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand.
Mr Butfoy also used fraudulent documents in an application for Stobart Air, the regional arm of Aer Lingus. The airline was placed into liquidation in June of 2021 after losing several significant contracts in advance of the pandemic. Stobart Air suffered both the dissolution of Flybe (which has recently announced its refreshed network) and the loss of Stobart Air's contract to operate Aer Lingus Regional services.
The Aer Lingus Regional franchise contract has since gone to Emerald Airlines. Ireland's newest regional carrier launched earlier this month in advance of Saint Patrick's Day, almost a year ahead of schedule. Emerald Airlines is utilizing its fleet efficient ATR-72-600s and is launching a range of Public Service Obligation (PSO) and commercial routes from its hub at Dublin Airport over the coming weeks.
Story sourced from here
British Pilot Jailed For Falsifying Flying Experience To Get Jobs (simpleflying.com)
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