Legal News

Samir Jamaluddin a British Airways pilot was sacked from his job after he was allegedly arrested for a terrorist plot involving an aircraft has lost his employment tribunal case against the airlines even though no evidence of his alleged involvement was proved.

Even he was not charged for any alleged offences and the matter was dropped eventually.

After being questioned by the counter terrorism officers of Scotland Yard in 2007 Mr Jamaluddin, who flew Boeing 747s, was judged a security risk and dismissed after having withdrawn his airside pass which effectively ended his ten year career as a pilot.

Born in Surrey and a practicing Muslim of Indian descent, Mr Jamaluddin claimed British Airways had meted racial and religious discrimination on him, had victimized him and dismissed him unfairly.

But the tribunal at Havant, Hampshire last week, ruled that BA had neither discriminated against him nor acted unlawfully.

With no charges and no evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct by Mr Jamaluddin who had done his job with passion and pride Mr Jamaluddin said the British Airways actions had had a catastrophic effect on his career.

The pilot was arrested after police allegedly uncovered links between him and two businessmen who had come to the attention of the security services when they booked flying lessons.

But British Airways conducted two inquiries and decided that Mr Jamaluddin was in a position to cause severe harm and hence should not fly, this despite his arrests resulting in no convictions. But Mr Jamaluddin claimed that the decision was taken against a background of post-9/11 paranoia.

BA said that it was pleased that the tribunal had found that it had not discriminated or acted unlawfully in any way.

Mr Jamaluddin’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.